Making the cut for govt incentive: High number of C-section deliveries at night in Moga hospital
NATIONAL HEALTH MISSION AUTHORITIES HAVE FAILED TO TAKE ANY ACTION TO CHECK THE SITUATION
MOGA: Two months after the Hindustan Times highlighted the issue of increasing caesarean section (C-section) deliveries during night hours at the civil hospital here, the situation remains the same due to lackadaisical attitude of the National Health Mission (NHM) authorities, who have failed to take any action.
The government pays an incentive of ₹3,000 per C-section delivery in the night to the obstetrics team of six, including ₹1,000 to the gynaecologist, ₹700 each to the paediatrician and the anaesthetist. A sum of ₹600 per delivery is given to the paramedical staff, including ₹250 to the staff nurse, ₹150 to the operation theatre (OT) assistant and ₹100 each to two Class-4 employees.
Data show that of the 301 C-section deliveries conducted from April 1, 2017 to June 15, 2017, 229 babies were delivered during night, while only 72 caesareans were performed during the day.
However, the ratio of normal deliveries during the same period remained almost equal, as, of the 531 normal deliveries, 257 babies were born during the day and 274 at night.
Sources said that after the HT highlighted the issue, caesareans at night had seen a little bit of downfall as a senior medical officer (SMO) issued a notice to the obstetrics team, but as the higher authorities didn’t show any concern, the situation turned to the same after few days.
Director, NHM, Varun Roojam, was not available for comments despite repeated attempts.
As per information, three years ago, the National Health Mission (NHM) announced financial incentives for conducting caesarean deliveries at night. The policy was aimed at ensuring the availability of the obstetrics team at night for the convenience of pregnant women coming to government hospitals.
In its report, the HT had highlighted the shocking figure of caesareans and normal deliveries that took place between April 2016 to March 2017 at the hospital. Of the total 2,256 C-sections, 1,338 babies were delivered at night, while only 918 caesareans were performed during the day.
While, the data for normal deliveries is the opposite, of the 2,987 normal deliveries, 1,600 babies were born during the day and 1,392 at night during same period.
There had hardly been any C-section deliveries from 4 pm to 8 pm during the year, raising doubts about doctors manipulating the time of delivery.
Meanwhile, with 1,338 babies delivered through C-section at night in 2016-17, the obstetrics team of the Moga district alone made at least ₹40 lakh through incentives.