Bengaluru: Urban residents in Karnataka appear to be increasingly choosing private hospitals over govt facilities, paying significantly more for treatment, according to the latest ‘Household Social Consumption on Health’ report.Private hospitals accounted for 73.9% of all hospitalisations in urban Karnataka in 2025, compared with 63.4% in rural areas. Public hospital use dropped from 34.6% in rural areas to 22.1% in cities, indicating that many urban households were bypassing govt facilities even for routine inpatient care.The preference came at a steep cost. The average hospitalisation expenditure in urban Karnataka stood at Rs 48,283, compared with Rs 35,779 in rural areas. A private hospital admission cost an average of Rs 53,259, nearly six times the Rs 9,309 spent at a public hospital.Among major states, Karnataka recorded the third-highest share of urban hospitalisations in private facilities at 73.9%, behind Maharashtra (76.6%) and Bihar (74%), and marginally ahead of Telangana (72.4%). The findings place Karnataka among a handful of states where private hospitals dominate urban inpatient care.The state estimates are based on a survey of 6,218 households (3,370 rural and 2,848 urban), covering 27,620 persons across 778 villages and urban blocks.Public health doctor and researcher Dr Sylvia Karpagam said growing dependence on private healthcare in both urban and rural areas requires policy attention, as it has resulted in higher out-of-pocket spending while the sector remains inadequately regulated.She said private hospitals often don’t consistently share morbidity and mortality data or follow standard treatment protocols. Patients unable to continue paying could also be discharged or referred elsewhere, affecting continuity of care.Karpagam attributed the trend partly to govt policies, including public-private partnerships, insurance-based empanelment of private hospitals, and the expansion of telemedicine without matching investment in primary health centres. She also alleged that patients in private hospitals were more likely to undergo unnecessary tests, surgeries and prolonged hospitalisation.Referring to maternal healthcare, she noted that 62% of deliveries took place in govt hospitals and 35% in private facilities. She said Caesarean section rates and treatment costs need closer scrutiny, adding that high medical expenses often force families into debt or asset sales and that stronger public healthcare and tighter regulation are essential to improve access.
