Institutional Deliveries Increased But C-Section Remains A Concern: NSO

In India,Institutional Deliveries has increased but at the same time C-Section surgeries has also increased which is double the rate of global standards – a real concern to be addressed at the earliest.
The above findings were the result of the latest survey on the state of India’s health conducted by the National Statistical Office in 2017-18.

Major Highlights

The proportion of women delivering a child in a hospital (or health care institution) has increased over the past two decades by nearly 73 percentage points in rural India and 37 percentage points in urban India.
At least nine of every 10 pregnant women now deliver a child in a hospital and thereby avail better health care facilities.

Nearly every third woman who delivers a child in a hospital undergoes a caesarean-section or C-section surgery, which is a rate twice of what the international health care community considers ideal (The World Health Organisation considers the ideal rate for C-sections to be between 10% and 15%).
At 28.1%, the share of women delivering through a C-section has risen by nearly 25 percentage points in two decades from as low as 3.2% in 1995-96.
In government sector hospitals in rural India, less than 15% women give birth through surgery.
The C-section rate in government hospitals in the urban sector is nearly double at 26%.

Role of Private Sector Hospitals

The private sector hospitals are largely responsible for the high rate of C-sections in India.
About 29% of institutional births in India take place in a private sector hospital, but these hospitals conduct nearly 63% of all C-sections in the country. Government hospitals conduct nearly 70% of all deliveries but only 35% of all C-sections.
Private sector hospitals, a majority of births (54% in rural areas and 56% in urban areas) are conducted through a C-section, which is almost four times more than the ideal rate.

Worst affected States

At 69%, Telangana has the highest overall rate of C-sections in the country, 52.8% in government hospitals, highest among all states, and 87% in private sector hospitals, second highest in the country.
Among big states, the percentage point difference is the highest in Odisha where nearly 76% deliveries in private sector hospitals happen through a C-section compared to just 14% in government hospitals.