Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has sharply criticised private healthcare facilities, blaming "greedy doctors" for the state's alarmingly high rate of caesarean section (C-section) deliveries.
Speaking in the state Assembly, Naidu called the trend a "dangerous" and unnecessary practice, particularly when a natural delivery is a viable and healthier option.
The Chief Minister's remarks come as new data reveals Andhra Pradesh has one of the highest C-section rates in the country, with a staggering 56.62% of all deliveries in the state now performed surgically.
Naidu highlighted that private hospitals are responsible for a disproportionate share of this figure, with a reported 90% of C-section operations taking place in these facilities.
"They are setting up muhurats (fixed auspicious times) and then doing the deliveries. That is wrong," Naidu stated, implying that many C-sections are being scheduled for reasons of convenience or superstition rather than medical necessity. He emphasised that the human body should not undergo surgery unless it is absolutely required.
Naidu further revealed that a significant portion of the state's health scheme, Dr. NTR Vaidya Seva Trust, is being spent on C-section procedures, draining public funds.
The chief minister has directed health minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav to address the issue head-on. The government plans to engage with private hospitals to ensure that surgical births are only performed when medically indicated and to prioritise natural deliveries.
The idea is to reform the state's maternal healthcare system and combat what it views as a profit-driven, over-medicalisation of childbirth.
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