Image for representation.
Credit: iStock Photo
Bengaluru: Bengaluru Urban recorded the highest number of caesarean (C-section) deliveries in Karnataka this year, with 53,905 procedures performed between April and October, data from the State Health Department has shown.
The data, accessed by DH, reveals that in 2022-23, Bengaluru Urban reported 1,12,341 C-section deliveries across public and private hospitals, constituting 40 per cent of all institutional deliveries. Though the absolute number fell to 73,839 in 2023-24, the percentage of C-sections out of total deliveries increased to 44 per cent.
This year, the percentage has risen further, with nearly half of all deliveries (49%) in the district being C-sections. Of all C-section deliveries in Bengaluru Urban this year, 58 per cent were performed in private hospitals, while 41% occurred in government facilities.
Across Karnataka, 4,61,599 C-sections were recorded, accounting for 46 per cent of all deliveries, between April and October this year.
Causes
Dr Sheela V Mane, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, attributed the high numbers to several factors, including referrals from nearby districts such as Hassan, Tumakuru, Hosur, and Bengaluru Rural to Bengaluru's tertiary care hospitals.
She explained that complications like foetal distress, maternal diabetes, high blood pressure, pre-labour bleeding, or risks to the baby’s health often necessitate C-sections.
“Complicated cases from government or private clinics are referred to district hospitals and medical colleges in Bengaluru, which skews the numbers,” added a health department official.
Harsh Gupta, Principal Secretary of the Health Department, said it is crucial to address unnecessary C-sections. “We must identify the reasons behind these numbers. If high-risk pregnancies are the cause, we need to reduce those factors,” he said.
The government has formed a team of independent experts and representatives from Vani Vilas Hospital, along with officials from the medical education and health departments, to investigate C-section trends across the state, including in Bengaluru Urban.