KOZHIKODE: Alappuzha tops the chart in vasectomy in the state, according to the statistics of the last one-and-a-half years. From April to October this year, 955 men underwent non-scalpel (NSV) or conventional vasectomy and of that 225 are in Alappuzha.
Last year (April ’13-March ’14), a total of 1,743 men underwent the birth control measure of whom 328 are from Alappuzha.
Though 95 per cent of the birth control methods are performed by sterilisation of women, Kerala is striving to increase the vasectomy for the reason that surgery on women is risky compared to that on men.
This year up to October, Kozhikode recorded the least number of vasectomies-- six. Last year, Palakkad was on the low side with just 31 cases.
“The commendable numbers in Alappuzha can be attributed to the groundwork carried out by junior health inspectors, junior public health nurses and Asha volunteers.
As there is no super-speciality hospital culture in Alappuzha compared to other districts, the people respond to government programmes in large numbers,” said Alappuzha district medical officer Dr K.A. Safiya Beevi.
Sources in the health ministry noted that effective use of mass media was also a positive factor in Alappuzha. Alappuzha’s achievement is noteworthy as once the district was infamous for lymphatic filariasis, Japanese encephalitis and Rubella.
Kozhikode DMO Dr P.K. Mohanan observed that patriarchal system was behind the low number of vasectomy.
“In any method, sterilisation of women needs open abdomen surgery. But in men, it is only a five-minute process. Yet men will push their better halves for birth control measures,” he said.
