Doctors in the Alappuzhua disctrict of the southern Indian state of Kerala reportedly conducted mass cesareans on April 18 and 19 in order to beat the long holiday rush on account of Easter and Good Friday. A total of 21 cesareans were performed in 2 days at the government hospital, even on women who were otherwise considered good candidates for a normal delivery.
While the media frenzy in India is at its near high, we know this to be a fact in the US that cesarean rates during the week peak as we approach weekends, ostensibly because doctors dont want to miss their weekend golf game atnd other plans. While I cannot vouch for the veracity of this reasearch, I am sure that this is true even in India.
But this news has thrown some deeply worrisome indications that cesarean rates are increasing even in the smaller towns and rural areas. In its quest to improve delivery of medical care to rural India, the government itself is moving closer to the medical model of birth, where rural women near their term are encouraged to go the nearest primary care center, where the emphasis is more on interventions and medication, often leading to cesarean operations.
Births in rural India were predominantly natural, with rural midwives taking a leading role in the birth processes. However, increasing prevalence of primary health centers across the rural landscape are causing an unintended, premature end to traditional midwifery model of care
What do you think?