Government Hospitals witness sharp rise in C-section deliveries in Mysuru: NFHS-6

Mysuru: Government hospitals in Mysuru have witnessed an increase in the proportion of caesarean deliveries, while private healthcare facilities have recorded a decline in such procedures, according to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6).

The district-wide proportion of C-section deliveries increased from 43.7% in 2019-21 to 47.4% in 2023-24, with the increase largely driven by a sharp rise in such procedures at public health facilities.

Long-term data, however, show that private hospitals continue to account for a higher proportion of caesarean deliveries. In 2015-16, C-sections made up 64.9% of deliveries in private facilities and 24.5% in public institutions, taking the district-wide proportion to 33%.

The latest survey also indicates a gradual shift towards government facilities for childbirth. Their share of institutional deliveries increased from 56.2% to 59.2% between the two survey periods. However, the overall proportion of institutional births in Mysuru edged down from 100% to 98.5%, TOI reported.

A similar trend was observed in childhood immunisation, with public health facilities accounting for a larger share of vaccinations. Among children aged 12-23 months, the proportion who received most of their vaccines through government facilities increased from 93.9% in 2019-21 to 97.8% in 2023-24. The corresponding share for private facilities declined from 6.1% to 2.2%.

The survey also pointed to changes in the district's age profile. Residents aged 60 years and above accounted for 14.8% of the population in 2023-24, compared with 13.8% in 2019-21, indicating a gradual rise in the proportion of senior citizens.

In contrast, the share of children below five years of age declined from 6.5% to 5.5% during the same period.