Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 8 (IANS) Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Monday that the state health department can’t intervene unless its found that cesarean deliveries are being done intentionally across the state.

Minister Gundu Rao responded to a query from JD-S Legislative Council member Govindaraju about the increase in cesarean deliveries.

He also added that malnutrition is not the only reason for increase in number of cesarean deliveries in the state.

MLC Govindaraju said that doctors are allegedly misguiding patients in this regard.

“In Kolar Government Hospital, 36 per cent of deliveries are cesarean, whereas in private hospitals, it is more than 76 per cent. My demand is that the state government should take cognisance of the issue,” he added.

“According to doctors, malnutrition is the main reason for cesarean deliveries in the Kolar region. This percentage is higher in the Kalyana-Karnataka region,” he said.

“I appeal to the state government to curb the increasing number of cesarean deliveries in the state and to regulate private hospitals in this regard,” he appealed.

Minister Gundu Rao said, “A pilot project was conducted in Tumkur on cesarean deliveries, and the report is with us. In some hospitals, cesarean deliveries are as high as 75-80 per cent. We need to review this carefully. This is a sensitive issue, and the choice between normal delivery and cesarean delivery is personal.”

“The department can’t intervene unless it’s found that cesarean deliveries are being done intentionally. We need to create medical and social awareness among pregnant women and their families,” the Minister added.

He also said, “It’s not possible to say that malnutrition is the sole reason for the increase in cesarean deliveries. It’s one of the factors, but educated, middle-class women in urban areas are more likely to opt for cesarean deliveries due to fear, social beliefs, and the inability to bear labor pain.”

“There are multiple reasons for this. Private hospitals also have reasons like higher billing and reduced risk. Normal delivery requires more attention and care, whereas cesarean delivery is sometimes unavoidable due to medical reasons, which only doctors can decide.”

Minister Gundu Rao responded to another query from BJP Legislative Council member H.S. Gopinath about whether the state government is aware of the issues of long waiting times and shortage of doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff at hospitals like Victoria, Bowring, and K.C. General hospitals in Bengaluru city.

The Minister said: “At K.C. General Hospital, the waiting time has been reduced through QR code-based ticket system. Victoria Hospital, under Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, receives patients from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, and necessary measures are being taken. Currently, there is no long waiting time at Victoria Hospital. There are no issues at Bowring, Lady Curzon, Ghosha Hospital, and Shivajinagar’s Charaka Hospital, and treatment is being provided smoothly.”

“At Victoria Hospital, doctors and paramedical staff are being hired on contract basis. There is no shortage of doctors and paramedical staff at Bowing Hospital,” he clarified.

“In Bengaluru city district, separate NCD units have been set up in nine hospitals under the non-communicable diseases programme. Screening for non-communicable diseases is being done at all primary health centres in Bengaluru city. Medicines supplied to hospitals are tested at the Karnataka State Medical Services and Supplies Corporation Limited quality control department through the “Aushada QC module”. The Central and state government drug controllers regularly test random samples of medicines.”

–IANS

mka/khz