The controversial technique was recently banned, causing protests.

The director-general of health, Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, said officials will discuss the safety and training requirements needed for water birthing.

“Now it seems patients are giving the guidelines. What standards, what safety precaution? What training requirement? What standard safety monitoring and facilities?,” he said in response to the Malay Mail Online.

On Wednesday, the ministry announced a ban on water birthing which takes place with the mother immersed in a tub of water. Its supporters believe it is gentler on the child.

However, a specialist in foetal medicine was reported to have said there were significant health risks.

Noor Hisham said last week that medical experts on water births had found in 2013 that there were no significant benefits but it could lead to increased complications during labour.

The government would seek to draw up guidelines for hospitals that offered water birthing so that pregnancies would be straightforward and adequate facilities were made available for any emergency.