Caesarean rates: Kerala reaches the pinnacle

Neha, like every other girl of her age loved babies so much that she used to plead to her fiancé that they should have at least four kids when they marry. Today, contended with just one baby, she heaves a relieving sigh that the pangs of caesarean are finally over. Is it that caesarean is the vogue of the day or that some unspoken social factors intervene, which answer for the alarming caesarean rates in Kerala?

With almost a handsome Rs 30,000 for caesarean and a meager Rs 4000 for a normal delivery, the doctor’s contentment in this regard can be well understood. The most ironical observation is that Kerala, which has the country’s largest health care network and the best health indicators, crowns the Caesarean rate. With about 30.1%, the Kerala figures surpass the national average thrice in degree when even the developed countries show a 25% rating.

Medical intervention, according to the protocol laid by WHO is permitted only in cases of breech presentation, dystocia, previous Caesarean, suspected fetal compromise etc. Any unwarranted caesarean leads to severe health risks to the mother and even hemorrhage and respiratory distress to the babies.

Today, Caesarean is opted as an easy way of painless delivery with the newer types of anesthesia that are amply available in the hospitals. A very recent study has come up with an interesting finding on the different instances of compulsive caesarean in Kerala. It noted that, the families compel the doctors to conduct caesareans, so that the delivery occurs at an auspicious time.

The alarming increase in the caesarean rates in Kerala corresponds to the misuse of the practice for the commercial gains of these medical organizations. At the same time, the doctors say that many women today approach them even before the delivery period seeking for caesareans as a painless alternative to the normal delivery. Another section is of the opinion that, the doctors get over enthusiastic with the overwhelming role of technology in medical services today, that they are not ready to take risks coupled with the increase in medico- legal cases.

With almost one third of the deliveries in Kerala done through caesarean, paradoxically, the state that has India’s top figures in offering its women the best care in pre natal and post natal stage is now bringing tossing indices to its public health sector. The government should immediately conduct further studies in this regard and take up effective measures to erase these disturbing figures cutting across the womb of the mothers of Kerala.

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