46% got no medical attention or were attended to by unskilled personnel before death: SRS

NEW DELHI: Data on medical attention received by people before death shows that even as 24.4% of deaths occurred in govt hospitals, 15.5% in private hospitals and 14.4% were attended by a qualified professional, the largest chunk of 45.7% had no medical attention or were attended to by an untrained functionary in 2023.

The Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2023 shows that in rural areas, the percentage of deaths that occurred with no medical attention or attended by an untrained functionary was higher at 49.2, compared to 36.3% in urban areas.

The distribution of deaths by type of medical attention received before death varies considerably across states. In Delhi, 36.6% of deaths occurred in govt hospitals, while only 39.5% had no medical attention or were attended by an untrained functionary. In contrast, in Jharkhand, 62.4% of deaths occurred with no medical attention or an untrained functionary, while only 5.6% were attended by a qualified professional.

In case of rural areas, untrained functionary and 'no medical attention received before death' covers about 49.2% deaths - ranging from 28.4% in Kerala to 69.4% in Bihar. While in urban areas, about 36.3% people did not receive medical attention or were attended by untrained functionaries - ranging from 22.5% in Karnataka to 58.1% in Bihar.

SRS data for 2022, at the national level, indicates 23.3% of deaths occurred in govt hospitals, 14.5% in private hospitals, 13.7% were attended by a qualified professional and 48.5% had no medical attention or were attended by an untrained functionary.

Data on deaths by age group in the 2023 report reveals that a significant proportion of deaths in India occurred among people aged 60 years and above, with the highest proportion recorded in Kerala (78.5%) followed by Himachal Pradesh (76.2), Maharashtra (68.8%) and Delhi (67.5%).