22,000 C-sections performed in district hospitals in Kashmir in a year

Srinagar, Nov 5: C-Section deliveries continue to rise in Kashmir with the official data indicating that 22,146 Lower (uterine) Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS) were performed out of a total of 42,737 deliveries in the district hospitals from April 2022 to March 2023.

As per the official data, of the total 42,737 deliveries performed, 22,146 were LSCS and 20,681 were normal deliveries.

Srinagar district registered 1489 C-sections out of the total 1800 deliveries while only 303 were normal deliveries.

In Budgam district, 2714 C-sections were performed out of 4436 deliveries as opposed to 1722 normal deliveries.

Ganderbal district also saw a substantial number of C-sections with 789 out of 1835 deliveries compared to 1134 normal deliveries.

Pulwama district reported the highest number of C-section deliveries with 3853 out of 5205 deliveries in contrast to 1351 normal deliveries which is the highest in the region.

Shopian district reported 1124 C-section deliveries out of 1921 deliveries with 797 normal deliveries, signalling a significant reliance on surgical methods.

In the Anantnag district, of the total 4733 deliveries, 1505 were C-sections and 3239 were normal deliveries.

Kulgam district recorded 2817 C-section deliveries of a total of 4878 with 2061 normal deliveries.

Baramulla district reported 4342 C-section deliveries of a total of 8302 deliveries while 3960 were normal deliveries.

In the Kupwara district, 2659 C-sections were performed out of a total of 7114 deliveries while 4455 were normal deliveries.

Bandipora district recorded 854 C-sections out of 2513 deliveries compared to 1659 normal deliveries.

According to the experts, there are many reasons behind the higher number of C-sections and one of the main reasons for the rise in C-section deliveries in Kashmir is lack of access to proper maternal healthcare.

“Many women in the region, particularly those living in rural areas, face significant barriers to accessing healthcare services, including lack of transportation, financial constraints, and cultural barriers. These factors make it difficult for women to receive the prenatal care they need to ensure a safe and healthy delivery,” they said.

According to experts, many healthcare facilities in the region lack the personnel and resources necessary to provide safe and effective obstetric care, including skilled birth attendants and access to emergency obstetric care.

“This shortage of trained healthcare providers can lead to inappropriate use of C-sections, as healthcare providers may opt for the procedure due to a lack of alternative options,” they said.

As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 which was released by the Government of India last year, Jammu and Kashmir reported second highest C-section deliveries (42.7 percent).

As per another report, for every 100 cases, 82 deliveries were done through C-Section in Kashmir.