Karnataka mulls paying govt hospitals for normal deliveries

Bengaluru: The state health department is mulling to pay the government hospitals for normal deliveries the same or similar amount paid for C-sections, noted state health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao at the council meeting on Tuesday.

Between April and October this year, the state's total C-section deliveries stood at 4,61,599, 46 per cent of all deliveries.

The minister had earlier said that private hospitals were conducting a lot more C-sections to earn more money. To curb this procedure being used unnecessarily, the state health department is now looking at also instructing private hospitals to bring their rates for both normal and C-section deliveries similar to each other.

"Government hospitals that do C-sections get some money from us for consumables. We are seeing how to promote normal deliveries, so we are looking at how we can pay the hospitals for normal deliveries as well. This will aim to remove any incentive-driven C-section deliveries," said Harsh Gupta, principal secretary, state health department.

The proposal aims to reduce unnecessary C-sections and promote safer childbirth practices across the state.