“Is Caesarean Section Operated As Professional Obstetrician or For Business Clinics Competition?”

After visiting some of my woman friends and my relatives who were delivered at hospitals and clinics, I feel worried that most of my woman friends as well as other women who have got caesarean sections with their first child at private clinics in Phnom Penh.

I always ask myself why there have been increasing in caesarean sections during childbearing recent years and its popularity is in Phnom Penh. As we know that in order to achieve the CMDGs (Cambodian Millennium Development Goals), government set up the C-section goal by 2015 which will be increased up to 4 percent nationwide. While, C-sections were most likely to occur in Phnom Penh with 4.6 percent (2000 CDHS) compared to the 2005 CDHS C-sections in Phnom Penh were increased significantly by 7.2 percent and C-sections are generally performed because the mother has medical problems or experiences complications at the time of delivery and desire as well. However, a few of my friends were suffered from private obstetricians who made fear to deliver by C-sections with inappropriate reasons, although my friends thought that it was a chance for them to find much more income for their business; especially mothers who delivered first child. As an example: when a woman delivers a normal obstetric costing around USD 200.00 for 5 days of her accommodation compared to USD 600.00 for a C-section.

Technically, a woman is allowed to deliver by C-section maximum two times to take care her health. Hence, this cheating by private obstetricians boosts their business rather then their professionals. Unfortunately, it is hard for the women who are not aware of it nor the C-section term and neither how to complaint by law if obstetricians make fear of. I think that it is unfair for the women and we should not be satisfied with CMDGs accomplishment by cheating people due to unwanted to deliver by C-section.

So, Ministry of Health should strengthen and improve private delivery services by spot-check the private clinics to ensure their performance professional.