CDMOs directed to audit C-section deliveries at private hospitals in Odisha

With the increase in c-section deliveries at private hospitals being a cause of great concern, the Odisha Health and Family Welfare Department has directed all the chief district medical officers (CDMOs) to conduct an audit. 

The objective of the audit is to find out whether private hospitals are going for the cesarean section operation while following the criteria laid out or doing so by setting aside the guidelines thereof. 

Health and Family Welfare Department Director, Bijay Panigrahi said if any private hospital is found flouting the guidelines, action will be taken against it. 

“The rate of C-sections at private hospitals in the state has increased. This will be audited. The objective of the audit is to find out why they went for C-section deliveries. It is to be found out whether they opted for the operation with real indications or without any indication,” said Panigrahi.

“We term it cesarean section audit. In government hospitals, the cesarean section audit has already started for two years now. Since the number of cesarean section operations has increased abnormally at private hospitals, we have issued instructions for their audit,” he added. 

“We have directed all chief district medical officers (CDMOs) to appoint a nodal officer who will audit these cesarean section deliveries. It will start this May,” he said. 

As per a report, the percentage of cesarean section deliveries at private hospitals in Odisha stands at 70.7 percent, as against the national average of 47.4 percent. In 2015-16, the percentage of cesarean section deliveries at private hospitals in the state was 53.7 percent. The last couple of years have witnessed a sudden increase in the number of C-section operations at private hospitals. 

As per the rule, the percentage of normal deliveries should be between 85 and 90 percent. 

At the same time, if compared, the data of such operations at government hospitals paint a better picture. The percentage of C-section deliveries at government hospitals in the state stands at 15.6 percent, as against the national percentage of 15.5 percent.