ঢাকাশনিবার , ৮ অগাস্ট ২০২৬
The mounting reliance on unnecessary surgical interventions in childbirth, especially cesarean sections (C-sections), has become one of the most worrying trends in the country’s healthcare sector. What should be an act of compassion and a medical necessity is increasingly being reduced to a business transaction, where profit takes precedence over patient welfare.
A recent report published in different media outlets highlights this crisis in Sunamganj district. Between January and June this year, four private-run hospitals in the area performed more than a thousand C-sections, while only 151 children were born through natural delivery. The story is very different at the management-run district hospital, where 1,037 normal deliveries were recorded alongside 202 surgical ones. This glaring gap exposes what many have long suspected: private facilities are disproportionately turning to surgery not out of medical necessity but out of commercial interest.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that only 10 to 15 percent of births should involve surgery, reserved strictly for cases of medical complications. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) highlights that more than half of all children born in the country in 2023—50.7 percent—came into the world through C-sections. This figure is far above global health standards and an evident sign of systemic exploitation.
Behind these numbers lies a worrying practice. Many private-led hospitals seemingly pressure expectant mothers and their families into agreeing to surgery, often by exaggerating or making risks linked with natural birth. Families are led to believe that a C-section is the only safe option when, in reality, it often serves the hospital’s financial interests. With surgical deliveries costing at least Tk 25,000—far higher than natural births—the motive is simple. Even more alarming are allegations that some staff in management-led hospitals push patients toward private clinics, using ‘risk bonds’ and fear tactics to divert them away from affordable, safer care. Such actions amount to exploitation and, in some cases, absolute criminal misconduct.
The concerns extend far beyond economics. Needless C-sections expose women to substantial health risks—ranging from infections and surgical complications to long-term issues like hernia and reduced fertility. Infants, too, are not spared; evidence recommends that unnecessary surgical births may affect neonatal health outcomes. The irony is painful: families often believe that paying more at private hospitals ensures better care, only to be subjected to greater medical risk.
This loss of trust threatens the reliability of the entire healthcare system. If hospitals are perceived as profit-driven enterprises rather than centers of healing, public confidence in medical institutions will without doubt end. At a time when the country is striving to strengthen its healthcare infrastructure, this culture of exploitation challenges progress and deepens disparity.
The necessity for reform is crucial. Regulatory authorities concerned must enforce strict oversight of private-run hospitals, ensuring compliance with global guidelines on childbirth practices. Disciplinary action should be taken against institutions and individuals found guilty of coercion or malpractice. At the same time, doctors and healthcare providers must reaffirm their ethical responsibilities, fighting commercial pressures and placing patient welfare at the center of their decisions.
Similarly important is public awareness. Families must be informed of their rights, the health risks linked with needless surgery and the value of natural birth. An informed and vigilant public, supported by effective regulation, may break the cycle of exploitation.
Childbirth is not an article of trade. When the scalpel becomes a tool of profit rather than need, both mothers and newborns pay the cost. Safeguarding maternal health needs collective responsibility—by regulators, medical professionals and citizens. If the country fails to curb this dangerous trend, the cost will not only be measured in money but in lives, trust and the credibility of the nation’s healthcare system.
Writer: Raj Kiron Das is currently working at Insurance News BD. Previously, he served as a Sub-Editor at Somoy Television’s English Web Desk and later as an Editorial Assistant at Bangladesh Post. He is also the Founder of the Equal Rights Organisation (ERO) and can be reached at ragbirajmcjru@gmail.com
