Wednesday, September 10, 2025 - A senior gynaecologist in Assam, a northeastern state of India, is under investigation after performing 21 emergency caesarean section deliveries within a single shift.
Dr Kantheswar Bordoloi, who serves as the senior medical
officer at Morigaon Civil Hospital, carried out 21 lower segment caesarean
section (LSCS) deliveries between 3.40pm local time on September 5 and
1.50am on September 6.
The local administration issued a formal show-cause notice
to the doctor, asking him to explain why he should not face disciplinary
action, raising serious concerns about the safety and well-being of
the mothers and newborns involved.
The notice demanded that Dr Bordoloi submit detailed reports
for each case within three days, according to the Hindustan Times.
The administration specifically requested information about
whether proper sterilisation procedures were followed, whether any foetal
distress cases were documented, details of newborn care in the Sick Neonatal
Care Unit (SNCU), and the roles of the assisting medical staff.
“This raises a few serious concerns and hence, in this
regard, you are hereby directed to submit a comprehensive report for each of
the above-mentioned cases,” additional district commissioner for health Nitisha
Bora said in the notice.
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.
“Such detailed documentation is imperative for strengthening
infection control protocols and for preventing maternal and infant morbidity
and mortality,” the notice added.
However, Dr Bordoloi defended his actions, saying that
handling multiple surgeries in a short period is not unusual in India’s
busy public hospitals.
He explained 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, according
to The Assam Tribune.
“What I have done is nothing unusual, and other doctors also
perform many surgeries at such a pace. Perhaps someone complained against me,”
he said.
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 paper titled “Alarming Trends of Cesarean
Section—Time to Rethink: Evidence From a Large-Scale Cross-sectional Sample
Survey in India”, the rate of C-section deliveries has increased
significantly over time, rising from about 17 per cent in 1998-99 to over 21
per cent in recent years.
The paper, published in 2023, noted that better-educated
women who had at least four prenatal checkups, 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.
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