Childbirth costs 16 times higher in pvt hosps: NSO report

Childbirth in private hospitals costs nearly 16 times more than in govt facilities yet there is a growing shift towards private care driving up out-of-pocket spending, said the latest National Sample Survey health report. The average out-of-pocket spend per childbirth during the last fiscal was Rs 37,630 in private hospitals, compared to Rs 2,299 in govt hospitals.