It says 112 mothers had died in the year, which was 33.8 per 100,000 childbirths, and the lowest in South Asia.

The ministry report says maternal mortality has been ranging between 32 and 33 for the past few years.

The associations of gynecologists, obstetricians, anesthetists and judicial medical officers compiled the report after extensively investigating all related deaths in 2016.

36.3 pc of births in 2016 were by caesarean section

Causes of death of the mothers have been given as postpartum hemorrhage, heart trouble etc.

In these deaths, delays had taken place at various levels – 43 pc had not obtained medical advice or got admitted to hospital on time, while 44 pc were blamed on health staff, directly and indirectly.

Absence of proper family planning caused 20 deaths.

According to Family Health Bureau statistics, 99.9 pc of childbirths take place at hospitals.

In 2016, 36.3 pc gave births by caesarean section, up from 31 pc in 2013.

In 1988, the rate was eight pc, 13 pc in 1997 and 30 pc in 2007.

Various health issues, including narrow hips, are the reason for many women having to undergo caesarean section to give birth, which is bad for the evolution of the human race.