Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Monday (December 16) highlighted the rising trend of caesarean sections (caesarean sections) in the state and announced plans to implement a comprehensive program to reduce them. Responding to a question in the Legislative Council in Belagavi, the Minister said that the caesarean section rate in Karnataka has increased from 35% in 2021-2022 to 38% in 2022-2023, from the current rate of 46%. Private hospitals, in particular, report a C-section rate of 61%, he said.
“Private hospitals are increasingly performing C-sections because they generate more revenue from C-sections and can be performed easily. It is important to curb this for the health of the mother and the child, he says.
Responding to a question from MLC Jagadev Guttedar, Dinesh said the format of the program was almost finalized and will be announced next month. He said doctors and hospital staff would be encouraged to prioritize natural births and only perform C-sections when medically necessary.
The minister also highlighted the government’s efforts to meet the growing demand for maternity care by opening several maternity and child hospitals across the state. Currently, 60 of the 88 planned hospitals are operational. “These centers offer comprehensive obstetric services 24/7, and we encourage natural deliveries at these facilities,” he added.
In a related development, Dinesh Gundu Rao informed the House that 46 individuals had been arrested in connection with cases of female feticide. Since 2023-24, eight cases of female feticide have been reported in the state, with increased surveillance of scan centers and hospitals leading to detection of these crimes. He explained that the government had set up statutory committees under the Pre-conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act across districts and ordered registration of all scanning centers in the state through online software “Balika” since 2018. Information technology is being utilized to monitor sex ratio data at the village level to prevent feticide, he added.
On the issue of fake doctors, the minister revealed that 134 fake clinics had been found in Kolar district alone in the last three years. He expressed frustration over the difficulty of filing cases against the alleged fake doctors, citing opposition from local community leaders, religious figures and some lawmakers.
