State-run Cheluvamba Hospital in Mysuru has recorded 551 newborn deaths over the last 15 months, according to hospital data. Out of 4,746 deliveries conducted during this period, the death rate stood at 11.8 percent. Hospital authorities attributed these fatalities to several factors, including preterm birth, infections, birth asphyxia, and malnutrition.
Main Causes of Newborn Deaths
Medical experts identified a range of conditions leading to the high mortality rate. Infections such as sepsis pneumonia, congenital anomalies, lack of breathing at birth, maternal malnutrition, underweight babies, lack of hygiene, and births before 37 weeks of gestation were cited as primary reasons. Most deaths occurred within the first week of life.
Lack of awareness among women in rural areas was also identified as a contributing factor. Hospital officials noted that sepsis pneumonia and meningitis are common among newborns due to unhygienic conditions, poor cord care, and delayed treatment.
Impact of Limited Emergency Care
Limited access to quality emergency care in taluk hospitals across Mysuru and surrounding districts has led to an influx of high-risk pregnancy cases at Cheluvamba Hospital. The hospital, constructed during the reign of the Maharajas of Mysuru, has historically served the population of the Old Mysuru region.
Annual Breakdown of Newborn Deaths
The district recorded 441 newborn deaths among 3,721 delivery cases in 2025 (January to December), accounting for an 11.8 percent death rate. In the first three months of 2026 (January to March), the hospital registered 110 deaths out of 1,026 deliveries, resulting in a 10.7 percent death rate. This trend has raised concerns about increasing infant mortality in the district.
Historical data shows that the hospital registered 654 newborn deaths out of 3,046 deliveries in 2021, a death rate of 21.4 percent. In 2022, there were 603 deaths among 3,604 deliveries (16.7 percent). The rate dropped to 13.6 percent in 2023, with 477 deaths for 3,487 deliveries, and further declined to 13.4 percent in 2024, with 416 deaths for 3,101 deliveries.
Hospital Response and Calls for Improvement
Speaking to the Times of India, Dr. K.R. Dakshayini, Dean and Director of Mysuru Medical College and Research Institute, stated that staff and doctors have extended utmost attention to patients, especially high-risk pregnancy cases admitted to the hospital. She emphasized that there is no shortage of medical, paramedical, nursing, or other staff.
Umadevi, a leader of the All India Mahila Samskruthika Sanghatane, urged the government to step up postnatal and neonatal care facilities at Cheluvamba Hospital and other hospitals to reduce newborn deaths. She also called for awareness campaigns targeting pregnant women in rural areas to lower the child mortality rate.
