Telangana Records Highest C-Section Rate in India Led by Private Hospital Deliveries

Telangana has recorded the highest rate of C-section (caesarean) deliveries in India, driven primarily by private healthcare facilities, according to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6). The state's overall C-section rate reached 62.2 percent, highlighting a heavy reliance on surgical births over natural deliveries in Hyderabad and across the state.

The survey data reveals a stark contrast between private and government healthcare settings. In Telangana's private hospitals, 83.9 percent of births were delivered through C-sections, marking an increase from the 81.5 percent recorded during the previous NFHS-5 (2019-21) survey period.

This high rate places Telangana's private sector far above the national private-sector average of 54.1 percent. It also exceeds the private sector rate of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, which stands at 66.2 percent. In terms of private hospital C-sections, Telangana now ranks third in India, trailing only Jammu and Kashmir at 90 percent and West Bengal at 87.7 percent.

Conversely, government hospitals in Telangana have managed to keep surgical birth rates below the halfway mark. The C-section rate in public facilities was recorded at 48.1 percent, showing a minor increase from the 44.5 percent documented in the NFHS-5 survey.

Health experts and researchers have pointed to systemic and cultural issues behind the persistent rise in surgical births. Angel Sudha V, a public health researcher at the Institute of Public Health (IPH) in Bengaluru, noted that the trend reflects broader issues in childbirth care, including institutional practices and a heavy reliance on medical interventions, which also places a significant financial burden on families.

Dr. K. Sujatha, a senior government gynaecologist, stated that factors such as high-risk pregnancies, delayed motherhood, and infertility treatments have contributed to the medical necessity of some C-sections.

However, other non-medical factors also influence the numbers. These include higher revenue generated from surgical procedures, the convenience of scheduling births, and counselling practices that exaggerate the risks associated with normal delivery. Additionally, families often opt for C-sections to align childbirth with astrologically auspicious "muhurtam" timings.

The high rate of surgical interventions continues despite years of government campaigns to promote normal deliveries. A previous analysis of NFHS-5 data published in PLOS One estimated that 8.4 percent of deliveries in Telangana involved potentially preventable C-sections.