Emerging patterns of reported morbidity and hospitalisation in West Bengal, India.

This paper presents evidence on the levels, patterns and determinants of morbidity prevalence and hospitalisation in the state of West Bengal in India using data from the 60th round (2004) of the National Sample Survey Organisation on 'morbidity and health care'. The reported morbidity and hospitalisation rates were considerably higher in urban than in rural populations. Age indicated substantial effects on morbidity and hospitalisation in both rural and urban areas, with females reporting higher morbidity than males in urban areas. Caste, region and seasonal differences in morbidity prevalence were found significant only in rural areas, but socio-economic inequalities in the prevalence of morbidity and hospitalisation were lower in urban areas. Morbidity and hospitalisation rates were more strongly related with household monthly per capita expenditure than to educational attainment. The distribution of ailments suggest that West Bengal is passing through the advanced phase of epidemiologic transition in which communicable diseases are being swiftly replaced with rising levels of non-communicable diseases.