Shillong, Aug 28 (PTI) The Meghalaya government will study the rise in caesarean section deliveries in the state, Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla told the Assembly on Friday, even as he highlighted a Rs 750-crore investment in health infrastructure over the last five years and a 56 per cent decline in maternal deaths.
The assurance was made after Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma raised concern over the trend on the last day of the Assembly session, seeking a comprehensive study to ascertain the reasons behind the increase in surgical deliveries.
Raising the issue during Question Hour, Sangma pointed to a shift from normal deliveries to caesarean births and sought data from the health department to understand the background of the trend.
Citing his own example, Sangma said he and his siblings were born through home deliveries, but normal deliveries were now declining while caesarean sections were being reported more frequently.
Responding to the concern, Shylla said Meghalaya’s caesarean section rate was below the national average, but acknowledged that the trend was a matter of concern.
He said the department does not resort to caesarean sections unless there are medical complications and that every mother would ideally prefer a natural delivery.
The minister said several factors could be contributing to the trend, including changes in fertility patterns and the health and physical condition of women.
“We will come up with every possible way to avoid C-section,” Shylla said.
Sangma, however, stressed the need for a comprehensive study, saying the trend appeared unusual and should not simply be compared with figures from other states.
Shylla subsequently assured the House that the process for studying the issue had already begun and a proper assessment would be carried out to ascertain the reasons behind the rise in caesarean deliveries.
On the broader health sector, Shylla said Meghalaya had added more than 1,000 beds and invested nearly Rs 750 crore in health infrastructure and services over the last five years.
The investment has coincided with a rise in patient footfall, with the number of patients increasing from 17 lakh in 2017-18 to 25 lakh in 2025-26, a jump of 46.8 per cent, he said.
The increase in beneficiaries under the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS) by 60 per cent also reflected growing public trust in the state’s healthcare system, the minister said.
On maternal and child health, Shylla said the state had spent Rs 120 crore over the last four years, exceeding the Centre’s contribution of Rs 110 crore. Including MHIS expenditure, the total investment in the sector stood at Rs 170 crore, he said.
Under the Chief Minister’s Safe Motherhood Scheme, women and children are now provided unlimited free transport, compared with the earlier provision that covered only trips related to delivery. More than one lakh such trips are being made annually, he said.
To address reluctance among pregnant women to visit healthcare facilities because of childcare responsibilities, transit homes have also been established where women can bring their children.
ASHA workers and traditional birth attendants are being incentivised with Rs 1,000 per delivery, while the Mother App tracks pregnant women down to the village level, Shylla said.
“Our maternal deaths have gone down by 56 per cent — first in the history of our state — our infant deaths by 40 per cent from 2021 data,” he said.
The minister said MHIS was also being made cashless and the government was strengthening healthcare infrastructure across the state.
By March 2027, Meghalaya will have 121 primary health centres, 35 community health centres and 700 sub-centres, exceeding national norms, he said, adding that the state currently has the highest number of First Referral Units.
Village councils have built more than 100 sub-centres, with another 150 in the pipeline, he said.
On manpower, Shylla said 400 medical officers had been recruited in a single drive through the Meghalaya Medical Services Recruitment Board, while more than 300 nurses were appointed on contract.
The government has also strengthened housekeeping staff in district hospitals and trained 115 doctors in Tamil Nadu through six-month certificate courses in maternal and child health to address the shortage of specialists, he said.
The department is also training traditional birth attendants to identify danger signs and involving village councils and faith-based organisations in antenatal and postnatal care to encourage institutional deliveries, Shylla added. PTI JOP MNB
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