Advertisement
Advertisement
Alex Lo
SCMP Columnist
My Take
by Alex Lo
My Take
by Alex Lo

Doctors the winners in C-section surge

There is a rush of expectant mothers wanting to give birth before they say farewell to the Year of the Horse and greet the Year of the Goat. Chinese think "horse babies" are more vigorous and healthier than "goat babies".

There is a rush of expectant mothers wanting to give birth before they say farewell to the Year of the Horse and greet the Year of the Goat. Chinese think "horse babies" are more vigorous and healthier than "goat babies".

This naturally leads to a surge in the number of Caesarean sections performed at private hospitals - and a bonanza to obstetricians and gynaecologists. This is another case of private doctors enjoying what is essentially an unregulated monopoly to line their own pockets rather than looking after the best interests of their patients. What else is new?

The rise of the C-section is not just a Lunar New Year phenomenon. Hong Kong's is simply among the highest rates in the world. At more than 41 per cent of births, it is double that of the average 21 per cent in developed economies. At private hospitals where parents get to decide, up to two in three babies are born under the knife. This has led to warnings from the World Health Organisation. The average Caesarean rate across Asia is 27.3 per cent - with Japan (19.8 per cent) among the lowest, Vietnam (35.6 per cent) on the high side and only the mainland (46.2 per cent) higher than Hong Kong.

WHO and other independent studies have found the risk of maternal death and serious complications increase significantly when Caesarean sections are done without a medical reason. The procedure has been associated with problems with later pregnancies. Some studies have found a correlation between C-sections and postnatal depression. It is also a medical convention not to put someone under full anaesthetic unless medically justified.

Some people like to attribute the unhealthy trend of rising C-sections to ignorant parents under the influence of superstitious beliefs. That may be so. But most of us are medically ignorant. That's why we depend on the service of professional doctors. But what's not to like about C-sections if you are a doctor? Instead of being on standby, you show up at the appointed hour and charge double or triple what you would for a natural birth. You can even charge more without doing anything extra if the mother stays in a private room. What the customer wants, the customer gets. Except in this case, the customer is a patient.

 

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Doctors the winners in C-section surge
Post