Deliveries at Keralam’s Kozhikode Government Women and Children’s Hospital decline
According to Health department, there were a total of 5,201 deliveries (2,729 normal and 2,472 C-section) in 2020-21. This number came down to 2,238 (1,387 normal and 851 C-section) in 2025-26. A large number of people from the urban areas of Kozhikode are dependant on the hospital
The Government Women and Children's Hospital in Kozhikode, Kerala is experiencing a decline in normal deliveries, with a significant increase in C-section deliveries. According to data from 2020-21 to 2025-26, the total number of deliveries decreased from 5,201 to 2,238, a 61% reduction. Of the remaining deliveries, 851 were C-sections, compared to 2,472 in 2020-21.
The percentage of C-section deliveries remains higher than the World Health Organisation's suggested ideal rate of 10%-15%, and even exceeds the national average of 21.5%. This decline in deliveries is coupled with a decrease in in-patient admissions, dropping from 8,315 in 2020-21 to 4,683 in 2023-24, before slightly increasing to 5,089 in 2025-26.
Despite the decrease in normal deliveries, the hospital continues to see a high number of outpatient visits, with a rise from 81,329 in 2020-21 to 1,55,257 in 2024-25, before slightly declining to 1,50,305 in 2025-26. The chairman of the rights organisation Pouravakasha Samrakshana Samithi, Satheesh Parannur, has raised concerns over the declining number of deliveries and IP admissions, suggesting that the Health department should conduct a detailed inquiry into the matter.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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