41% of childbirth in state at private facilities, says report

The latest Sample Registration Survey (SRS) bulletin has stated that more than 97% of babies in Maharashtra were born in a health facility in 2020. But, up to 41% of the deliveries were in private facilities, even in rural areas, underlining the state's continued inability to provide healthcare to a broader population.

- Sumitra.DebRoy @timesgroup.com

As per the SRS 2020 data released last week, nearly 56% of deliveries occurred at government health centres, while 41.4% were in private facilities. Despite the government's claims to improve mother and child care services, this ratio has remained unchanged over the past several years. It is also higher than the all-India average, where 28% of deliveries occur in private centres, 55% at government centres and nearly 12% outside institutions but at the hands of qualified health personnel.