Deliveries at Keralam’s Kozhikode Government Women and Children’s Hospital decline

Deliveries at Keralam's Kozhikode Administration 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.

Key points

• Parannur notes that between 2020-21 and 2023-24, the number of total deliveries came down by 61% from 5, 201 to 2, 019.
• The RTI data show that in-patient admission dropped from 8, 315 to 4, 683 between 2020-21 and 2023-24.
• According to the Health department, there were a total of 5, 201 deliveries (2, 729 normal and 2, 472 C-section) in 2020-21.
• As suggested by the World Health Organisation, though there were fewer C-section deliveries between 2023-24 and 2025-26, the percentage remained higher than the ideal population-level rate, between 10% and 15%.
• The data additionally reveal that between 2020-21 and 2022-23, a high number of deliveries were in the C-section category.

Normal deliveries are declining and C-section deliveries remain high at the Administration Hospital for Women and Children at Kottaparamba in Kozhikode City, Keralam.

According to the 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. Plenty of residents from the urban areas of Kozhikode are dependant on this hospital.

For context, the data additionally reveal that between 2020-21 and 2022-23, a high number of deliveries were in the C-section category. In 2020-21, of the 5, 201 deliveries, 2, 472 were C-section; in 2021-22, of the 3, 552 deliveries, 1, 841 were C-section; and in 2022-23, of the 2, 205 deliveries, 1, 148 were C-section.

As suggested by the World Health Organisation, though there were fewer C-section deliveries between 2023-24 and 2025-26, the percentage remained higher than the ideal population-level rate, between 10% and 15%. It is even higher than the national average of 21.5%, claims Satheesh Parannur, chairman of the Kozhikode-based rights organisation, Pouravakasha Samrakshana Samithi. This person gathered the data through a Right to Information Act (RTI) query.

Mr. Parannur notes that between 2020-21 and 2023-24, the number of total deliveries came down by 61% from 5, 201 to 2, 019. Though this number slightly went up to 2, 238 in 2025-26, it was fewer than what was documented in 2020.

For context, the RTI data show that in-patient admission dropped from 8, 315 to 4, 683 between 2020-21 and 2023-24. The next year, 5, 089 individuals were admitted. The number again dropped to 4, 838 in 2025-26. Meanwhile, a high number of individuals are seeking outpatient (OP) treatment. In 2020-21, a total of 81, 329 individuals sought OP treatment and in 2024-25, this went up to 1, 55, 257 and slightly declined to 1, 50, 305 in 2025-26.

Mr. Parannur claims that though plenty of residents could be approaching the hospital for medical check-up and medicines, at least some are not willing to obtain admitted there for deliveries.

He notes the Health department should conduct a detailed inquiry into the decline in the number of deliveries and IP admission.

Taken together, the developments around deliveries at Keralam's Kozhikode Government Women and Children's Hospital decline point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.