Health minister raises concerns
Motsoaledi said his disappointment arose from the fact that the rate of caesareans in the private healthcare sector was approaching 70%.
The Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has raised his concern about the increasing rate of giving birth through caesarean commonly as C-section in the country’s health facilities.
Motsoaledi said this while delivering his keynote address at the launch of Health Systems Trust 2012/2013 District Health Barometer (DHB).
The DHB provides an overview of the country’s public health services in all 52 health districts in the country. It established that the national caesarean rate had increased from 12.7% which was reported to be between 2001/02 to 20.8% in 2012/13.
Motsoaledi said his disappointment arose from the fact that the rate of caesareans in the private healthcare sector was approaching 70%.
“I simply believe the indicators have nothing to do with health, but they have got everything to do with commerce.”
He said it was possible that healthcare workers did not want to sit with a woman in labour, and would rather have them deliver as quickly as possible via caesarean.
The DHB found that the total number of South African adults who remained on antiretroviral therapy (ART) had increased by about 33%.
The total number of children under the age of 15 who remained on ART at the end of 2012/13 was 148 342.
The rate for antenatal (pregnant) clients initiated on ART in 2012/13 was 81.6 percent, and only 19 districts had reached the target of 85% set by the department of health.
“It is critical for women and their unborn children that pregnant HIV positive women are initiated on ARVs [antiretrovirals] as early as possible,” Motsoaledi said.
