Thiruvananthapuram, Aug. 24 -- Elective cesarean sections account for more than 70 per cent of institutional births in private hospitals across Kerala, raising serious public health concerns, according to Dr. Naresh Purohit, Advisor to the National Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Programme.
Delivering the keynote address at a workshop on "Pregnancy and Child Birth in the Modern Era" organised by Travancore Medical College, Kollam, Dr. Purohit, a noted epidemiologist, cited National Health Mission (NHM) data that revealed worrying trends in cesarean delivery rates.
From April to November 2024, cesarean births exceeded 50 per cent in five districts - Alappuzha (56%), Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, and Ernakulam - while Kasaragod report...