Cost of CS in Ghana: What is the Cost of cesarean delivery in Ghana?

Cost of CS in Ghana: What is the Cost of cesarean delivery in Ghana?

Many Ghanaians and infact Africans are very much against having a cesarean delivery for mainly religious reasons. Before I go further, please read this passage to understand concept of c-section.

“We need to do an Operation”

Those “evil” Words that no pregnant woman wants to hear..

But why is it so bad?
Why is it “not my portion”?
Why do we need to do an Operation?
What are the complications?
What are the other options?

Ladies and Gentlemen…

Ceaserean Delivery (C-Section, Surgical Birth, Abdominal Delivery) is the delivery of a baby or babies, through an incision (cut) in the abdomen, and the Womb. This is often indicated when a Vaginal birth ( Normal delivery) would put the mother or baby at risk.

Its one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures.
There are a LOT of reasons, why your Doctor would recommend a C-Section and not all of them can be covered in this thread (That’s how many there are).

But lets look at a few.

Other than Doctors advice, a Mother can by herself opt to do a Ceaserean section, for (Personal Reasons) . Also this list is by no means exhaustive.There are a lot of other reasons why your Doctor would prescribe a surgical birth, and he/she would be happy to explain it to you.

The reason could be,

Maternal Reasons (For the sake of the Mother)

*Previous C – Section- In our Clime, your chances of having a C-Section is Increased after a prior operation . This is because a C section leaves a Scar on the Womb, which has a significant risk of tearing……. during the process of Labour.and could cause serious complications. So the decision as to whether to do a CS after a Previous CS, or to try for a VBAC (Vaginal Birth after CS) is something that should be discussed between you and your Doctor.

*Pelvic abnormalities – Some women have prior had Fractures. These aor anything that affects the Normal “Birth canal” could make normal delivery impossible.

Fetal Indications (For the sake of the Baby)

👉Fetal Distress- This is one of the more common indications and one of the more difficult to explain It simply meant, Baby in distress, at this point, the objective of the Managing team, is to deliver the baby , as fast as possible, which means if patient isnt progressing well, a C-S might be indicated.

👉Fetal Macrosomia- In some situations, especially in Women in their first Pregnancies, A BIG Baby, could be an indication for a C-S although this is a scenario, which should be discussed with your Dr.A big baby, however in a woman, who has had a prior CS, is almost always an indication for C-S.

👉Fetal Malpresentation – Baby not well positioned, this has so many varieties the Lie, (Is the baby lying across? ) The presentation, ( What part of the Baby is coming out first) etc .

The ideal way is for the Baby to be coming “Head First” and if this isnt the case, depending on other factors, (Skill of the doctor delivering, How many previous deliveries the woman has Had) a CS might be the Safest route to get mother and baby through with no problems.

👉Placentation – The placenta, is the babys connection to the mother.the “life plug”. In most Women, it is High up in the womb, but in some women, it is down, and blocks the birth canal. In cases like this, a Vaginal birth is almost impossible and a CS is required.

👉Abnormal Labour – i.e Poor progress in Labour.
Labour is mostly a natural process, with the managing team there to watch out for and prevent any complications, but when Labour isnt progressing normally despite “help” from the managing team a C-S could be indicated because prolonged labour has risks to both mother and Fetus.

Maternal Health – In Some Conditions like Pre Eclampsia, the Managing doctor can advise for a C-S.

Like we said at the beginning these dont even begin to scratch the surface of “reasons” for CS …but it is important to note that, it is your right to know why and be informed before making a decision.

Also note that a C-S might be the difference between going home in tears, or going home with your baby as the above reasons have mentioned above.

CS is done to Save Mother And Baby.

A C-S is a relatively “Short” operation , 30mins to 50 mins on the average, and has very good prognosis.

If properly managed, the risk of complications is relatively low.
It doesnt impede the mother from Breastfeeding!

Frequently Asked Questions about CS

1. Why do some Doctors cut Vertically? – This is usually indicated by the reason for the CS. There a quite a number of reasons for any of the “styles”

2. Does CS affect fertility- A normal CS , without any complications has no impact on Fertility.

3. Why do women suffer “womb gumming” – i am not quite clear ,what you mean by this but ….
When a CS is done, as the incisions heal, they might heal while “adhering” (gumming) to other organs in the abdomen. Steps are taken by the Doctors to prevent this. Hope this answer suffices.

4. How long should a woman wait after CS to conceive.- Generally the WHO recommends women wait 2 yrs, between births, whether CS or Normal Delivery,
But generally, any….pregnancy, within 6 months of a CS is considered Short, and comes with an increased risk of complications..

5. Does CS cause painful periods- CS , without any complications doesnt affect the “periods” .
If you experience such after CS, see your gynaecologist.

6. Should a woman opt for CS before Due date- If a woman wants CS , she should discuss with her Dr but generally “planned”CS are usually done 1 week before EDD

7. Does CS limit the No of Children,- Because of the increased risk of complication with each CS , The Usual “Limit”…is 3 Caeserean Sections, but under certain consideration and in Specialist Care, more than 3 can be performed..

This thread doesn’t do justice, to the CS topic cos its too expansive, but please note that there are many reasons for a CS and they are done mostly for the best outcome. Thank..

Now let me tell you something about the cost of CS in Ghana 👇

💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

Cost of CS in Ghana: What is the Cost of cesarean delivery in Ghana?

Cesarean section delivery is quite expensive in Ghana but fortunately it is covered by health insurance just like in Nigeria. The cost of CS in Ghana is around GHC 6,000 – 12,000 Ghana Cedis including surgery cost, drugs, routin and cost of hospital stay. If you will need blood transfusion during CS, the amount may not cover it.

The passage on C-section was written by Dr John Afam.