Karnataka’s urban patients pay steep price as private hospitals dominate city care

Private hospitals accounted for 73.9% of hospitalisations in urban Karnataka in 2025.

Average hospitalisation cost in urban Karnataka was Rs 48,283 vs Rs 35,779 in rural areas.

Private hospital admission averaged Rs 53,259, nearly six times the Rs 9,309 at public hospitals.

Karnataka had the third-highest urban private hospitalisation share among major states at 73.9%.

Dr. Sylvia Karpagam linked the trend to policies like public-private partnerships and insurance empanelment, raising concerns about higher out-of-pocket spending and inadequate regulation.