A senior gynaecologist in Assam, India, who is under investigation after performing 21 emergency Caesarean deliveries within a single shift, has justified the numbers, saying that multiple deliveries in a busy hospital are not unusual.
Dr Kantheswar Bordoloi, who serves as the senior medical officer at Morigaon Civil Hospital, carried out 21 lower segment C-sections (LSCS) between 3.40pm on 5 September and 1.50am on 6 September, reports The Independent.
He has been asked to explain why he should not face disciplinary action – with authorities raising concerns about the safety and well-being of the mothers and newborns involved.
Bordoloi has been given three days within which he must submit detailed reports for each case, with authorities asking whether proper sterilisation procedures were followed, whether any foetal distress cases were documented, details of newborn care in the neonatal care unit, and the roles of the assisting staff.
Officials said that both preoperative and postoperative medical records were inadequately maintained, which could compromise infection control measures and increase the risk of maternal and infant complications.
However, the doctor has defended his actions, saying that handling multiple surgeries in a short period is not unusual in India’s busy public hospitals.
He added that in uncomplicated cases, a typical C-section can take as little as 15 minutes, and the hospital is equipped with two operating tables, allowing continuous sterilisation without compromising safety.
“I was handling emergency cases one after another, and the numbers unexpectedly shot up. I worked quickly, but all necessary medical procedures were followed,” he said.
“What I have done is nothing unusual, and other doctors also perform many surgeries at such a pace.”
He added that 19 out of the 21 mothers and newborns had been discharged in stable condition, while two remain hospitalised, including one who was transferred to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, one of the region’s premier medical institutions.
According to a 2023 paper, the rate of C-section deliveries in India has increased significantly over time, rising from about 17% in 1998-99 to more than 21% in recent years.
The paper also noted that better-educated women who had at least four prenatal check-ups, came from wealthier families, or lived in cities, were much more likely to have a C-section.
Some studies have pointed to a correlation between C-section births and an increased likelihood of diagnoses for autism spectrum disorder and ADHD, though these were unable to prove that the method of birth caused these diagnoses.
In 2018, an article in The Lancet warned of what it called a rising “Caesarean epidemic”. The article said that “the most common surgery in many countries around the world .. .is a procedure that can save women’s and babies’ lives when complications occur during pregnancy or birth”.
“However, Caesarean section use for non-medically indicated reasons is a cause for concern because the procedure is associated with considerable short-term and long-term effects and healthcare costs. Caesarean section use has increased over the past 30 years in excess of the 10%-15% of births considered optimal, and without significant maternal or perinatal benefits.”
Last month in Assam, a fake doctor who performed more than 50 C-sections and gynaecological surgeries over a decade, was arrested while operating in a private hospital. Pulok Malakar’s medical certificates were found to be fraudulent, prompting a crackdown by Assam’s “anti-quackery” unit.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Too posh to push: Time to end damaging anti-Caesarean stigmas
Natural birth obsession is a ‘tragedy’ for many mothers and their babies
Planned C-sections tied to childhood cancer risk – Swedish cohort study