Rate of C-section deliveries close to 80% in pvt hospitals: Health minister

Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque has said that the rate of caesarean section deliveries in Bangladesh has increased at an alarming rate.

"The caesarean rate is 25 to 30% in government hospitals. However, it is close to 80 percent in private ones. This is alarming in every sense," he said.

The minister made the remarks while addressing a seminar celebrating "World Health Day" at Osmani Memorial Auditorium on Wednesday.

A report by National Institute of Population Research and Training (Niport), published on Tuesday, showed the rate of C-Section deliveries has risen from 34% in 2017 to 45% in 2022.

"We have achieved significant success reducing maternal and child mortality. The number of deliveries in our community clinics has increased. However, the alarming thing is that the rate of C-section deliveries has also increased to a higher extent, which is much higher in private hospitals," the health minister said during his address.

Citing World Health Organization's (WHO) guidelines, Zahid Maleque said, "A country can accept a maximum of 15 to 20% of C-section births, but anything higher is alarming."

He said the government will increase monitoring in private hospitals to bring down the number of caesarean deliveries.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque said the newly launched private practice by doctors at government hospitals has been successful as many people are now receiving medical treatment under this service.

The initiative will be implemented gradually in all medical colleges, hospitals, and health complexes across the country, he said.

Officially known as "institutional practice", the initiative allows doctors of the state-run hospitals to offer service after office hours in exchange of fees.

Highlighting the importance of a skilled workforce to ensure proper service, Zahid Maleque said, "At present, three lakh people work under the Ministry of Health. We are now the largest ministry in terms of manpower and services."

The health minister said eight specialised hospitals will be opened next year to address the rising concern regarding non-communicable diseases such as cancer, heart attack etc.