Deliveries Decline at Kozhikode Government Women and Children’s Hospital as C-Section Rates Persist

Overall deliveries and inpatient admissions have recorded a marked decrease at the Government Hospital for Women and Children at Kottaparamba in Kozhikode City, Kerala, according to official Health Department data obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) application. Despite the drop in child deliveries, outpatient visits have nearly doubled over the same period, and caesarean section rates have stayed above recommended population-level benchmarks.

What Happened

Data gathered via an RTI request by Satheesh Parannur, chairman of the Kozhikode-based organisation Pouravakasha Samrakshana Samithi, shows that total deliveries at the Kottaparamba facility decreased from 5,201 in 2020-21 to 2,019 in 2023-24—a reduction of approximately 61 percent. In 2025-26, the facility recorded 2,238 deliveries, comprising 1,387 normal deliveries and 851 C-sections, which remains considerably lower than the figures reported in 2020.

Inpatient admissions similarly diminished from 8,315 in 2020-21 to 4,683 in 2023-24, before recording 5,089 in 2024-25 and falling back to 4,838 in 2025-26. Conversely, the hospital observed a substantial surge in outpatient (OP) consultations. Outpatient attendance rose from 81,329 in 2020-21 to 1,55,257 in 2024-25, before slightly easing to 1,50,305 in 2025-26.

Key Highlights

• Delivery Figures: Total deliveries dropped from 5,201 (2,729 normal and 2,472 C-sections) in 2020-21 to 2,238 (1,387 normal and 851 C-sections) in 2025-26.
• C-Section Trajectory: C-sections accounted for 2,472 of 5,201 deliveries in 2020-21; 1,841 of 3,552 in 2021-22; and 1,148 of 2,205 in 2022-23.
• Benchmark Comparison: The proportion of surgical deliveries remains higher than the 10 percent to 15 percent range recommended by the World Health Organisation and exceeds the national average of 21.5 percent cited by the rights group.
• Inpatient vs Outpatient Trend: While inpatient admissions dropped from 8,315 to 4,838 between 2020-21 and 2025-26, annual outpatient numbers expanded from 81,329 to over 1.5 lakh.
• Call for Probe: Pouravakasha Samrakshana Samithi has called on the Health Department to initiate an inquiry into why deliveries and inpatient admissions have decreased while outpatient visits grew.

Why This Matters

The urban population of Kozhikode relies extensively on the Kottaparamba hospital for maternal and childcare services. The shift in delivery figures highlights changing healthcare utilisation patterns in public health infrastructure.

Addressing the numbers, an unnamed government gynaecologist explained that delivery figures were unusually high between 2020 and 2022 because major institutions, such as the local medical college hospital, were designated for COVID-19 care, directing maternal cases to Kottaparamba. The physician also noted that repeat caesareans constitute a significant proportion of surgical deliveries, pointing to May 2026 data where 33 out of 57 C-sections were performed on patients who had previously undergone the surgical procedure.

Hospital superintendent V.K. Rajeevan stated that the reduction reflects broader demographic patterns seen across public and private hospitals statewide, noting an estimated 20 to 30 percent general decline. He cited rising marriage ages for couples and women, lower fertility preferences including single-child families, delayed childbearing, and competition from private hospitals as contributing factors.

What to Watch Next

Civic groups have requested that the Health Department conduct an inquiry to determine why patients accessing outpatient care are choosing not to seek inpatient admissions and delivery services at the facility.

Frequently Asked Questions

What were the delivery numbers at the Kottaparamba hospital in 2020-21 versus 2025-26?

In 2020-21, the hospital recorded 5,201 deliveries (2,729 normal and 2,472 C-sections). In 2025-26, the figure stood at 2,238 deliveries (1,387 normal and 851 C-sections).

Why did the hospital record higher delivery figures during 2020-2022?

According to a government gynaecologist at the hospital, delivery numbers rose during the pandemic because other public facilities, including the medical college hospital, were focused on treating COVID-19 patients.

What broader factors did the hospital superintendent attribute to the decline?

Superintendent V.K. Rajeevan attributed the lower delivery rates to higher marriage ages, family planning decisions favouring single-child households, deferred pregnancies, and preferences for private healthcare providers.

Source: Based on reporting from The Hindu.