Unnecessary C-sections continue to be a concern in the UAE, where the average figure for such operations (close to 36 per cent) is well above the World Health Organization's recommended rates of 19 to 21 per cent. As The National reported yesterday, experts are concerned about the culture of pregnant women wanting unnecessary caesarean sections as a result of wrong information or pressure from doctors.
Unnecessary C-sections, in addition to their health complications, cost the local healthcare system a lot of money, with an average cost of Dh22,000 per operation in private clinics. There is sometimes a suggestion that hospitals could take advantage of the insurance system, encouraging patients to have a caesarean without explaining the potential risks of the surgery. On the other hand, mothers themselves may choose it as a lifestyle choice or to pick the date of delivery.
There is, of course, a risk involved in C-sections. But it is unfair to focus on the negative side of Caesarean sections and ignore the scenarios in which they are genuinely needed. In cases of emergency, they are essential and the only option.
Moreover, there is an important matter of choice. Giving birth is a difficult, private and emotional moment for a mother and many have solid reasons for choosing a C-section.
It is certainly right to look at the number of C-sections performed and to investigate cases where it appears an unnecessary procedure has been offered. And, certainly, there are good reasons to be concerned if it appears there are incentives for hospitals to choose an option for reasons other than the mother’s health.
But occasionally the focus in this debate appears to be on the choice of mothers, with the always unspoken and negative suggestion that mothers who choose C-sections do so because it is easier. That is not respectful of the woman’s decision. The topic is a sensitive one and the debate around it must be conducted in a similarly careful way, not in a way that blames women at their most vulnerable.
