West Bengal C-Section Rate Surges to 44.5% as Private Sector Deliveries Climb

Caesarean section rates in West Bengal have reached 44.5% according to the latest National Family Health Survey, marking a sharp increase from 23.8% in 2015-16 and standing well above the national average of 27.2%. In major urban centres like Kolkata and North 24 Parganas, the rate climbs to 67.5%, meaning roughly two out of every three babies are born through the procedure.

Private Sector Shift

Private medical facilities in the state now handle nearly six in every ten C-sections, with 87.7% of births in private hospitals performed via surgery. The shift of deliveries from public to private institutions accounts for more than half of the recent 11.9-point increase in the state rate. Government facilities have also seen a rise, performing C-sections in 28.8% of their births compared to 18.8% previously.

Driving Factors

Several factors contribute to the rising numbers, including the expansion of the Swasthya Sathi health insurance scheme and a growing population of overweight women or those with ten or more years of schooling. Data shows that 34.6% of women of childbearing age are now overweight or obese, up from 22.7%, while 40% have ten or more years of education.

Context

While a C-section can save lives when complications arise during childbirth, health experts note that rates exceeding 10% across a population do not correlate with lower mortality. Medical authorities have previously suggested routine prescription and hospital audits to monitor whether surgeries are performed purely out of medical necessity.