Southern India Most Expensive in Treatment Costs Across India Madhya Pradesh Expenses Sit Right in the Middle
Another Significant Finding for MP
Southern India Most Expensive in Treatment Costs Across India
Madhya Pradesh Expenses Sit Right in the Middle
Another Significant Finding for MP
SARMAN NAGELE
Bhopal. The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare, chaired by Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav, recently presented its report related to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare before both Houses of Parliament. The report points out that, along with the availability of healthcare services in India, treatment costs are also rapidly diverging across states. Citing data from the National Sample Survey Office (NSO) 80th Round Health Survey (January–December 2025), the 176th report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare states that hospitalization expenses in India vary significantly depending on the state.
According to the report, the total cost of hospitalization in Telangana is approximately Rs 55,000 and around Rs 52,000 in Tamil Nadu, while in Kerala and Karnataka, it ranges between Rs 40,000 and Rs 45,000. Total expenses were also recorded at around Rs 40,000 or higher in West Bengal and Maharashtra. In Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, this level reaches nearly Rs 45,000.
In contrast, the average expenditure in Odisha was around Rs 22,000, while in Mizoram and Meghalaya it stood at approximately Rs 25,000. In Ladakh, this figure was recorded at around Rs 8,000. The committee clarified that lower expenses cannot be directly interpreted as a sign of better healthcare systems; it could also be the result of limited access to healthcare or lower utilization of services.
According to state wise data from the 80th NSO Health Survey, the hospitalization rate in Madhya Pradesh is 24 per 1,000 people. In comparison, it was reported at 92 in Kerala, 33 in Maharashtra, 29 in Gujarat, 28 in Haryana, 22 in Karnataka, 22 in Chhattisgarh, 20 in Bihar, 19 in Assam, and 9 in Meghalaya. Meanwhile, the average total medical and non-medical expense per hospitalization case in MP was recorded at around Rs 36,266.
In Madhya Pradesh, the average medical cost stood at around Rs 32,283 and the non-medical cost at about Rs 3,983. This puts the state neither in the category of the most expensive Southern states nor among those where average hospital treatment costs are very low. Madhya Pradesh’s expenditure is positioned right in the middle of the national picture.
Mohan Yadav says that the health sector is directly tied to the lives of citizens, which is why it is the top priority of our government.
A glance across states clearly illustrates the average total hospitalization cost per state: Telangana: Approx.Rs 55,000,Tamil Nadu: Rs 52,000, Uttar Pradesh: Rs 45,000, Haryana: Rs 45,000, Kerala: Rs 40,000 – Rs 45,000, Karnataka: Rs 40,000 – Rs 45,000, West Bengal: Above Rs 40,000, Maharashtra: Rs 40,000 , Madhya Pradesh: Approx. Rs 36,266 , Mizoram: Rs 25,000 , Meghalaya: Rs 25,000, Odisha: Rs 22,000, Ladakh: Around Rs 8,000 .
The report’s most crucial finding highlights a massive disparity between public and private healthcare costs. According to the NSO 2025 survey, the average cost of hospitalization in India is Rs 6,631 in public health facilities compared to Rs 50,508 in private hospitals.
The average cost of admission in a private hospital is multiple times higher than in a public facility. The committee considers this an issue directly linked to healthcare affordability and the financial burden placed on ordinary families.
The committee recommended establishing regulatory mechanisms to standardize and cap the costs of essential treatments, diagnostics, and routine procedures in private hospitals, as well as providing patients with full cost disclosures before admission.
Madhya Pradesh average total hospital cost of Rs 36,266 brings to light a key challenge of the national healthcare system: the critical need to strengthen public health services. The committee argues that where public healthcare is robust, patients’ reliance on the private sector and out-of-pocket expenses can be significantly reduced.
For Madhya Pradesh, the average hospital expense of Rs 36,266 serves as a key indicator, The next challenge for the state will be to strengthen the capacity of public health institutions, specialist services, and rural health infrastructure to ensure patients do not have to rely on expensive private treatment.
The broader takeaway from the parliamentary committee’s report is that the stronger the investment in public healthcare services, the lower the financial out of pocket burden on families will be.
