JSSK likely to fall flat
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 22 2012: At least in Manipur, the Government of India's Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) is most likely to fall flat as the amount given under the scheme is very little compared to medical expenditure needed for child delivery in hospitals.

JSSK programme was launched under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to enable women deliver babies at Government hospitals and also to provide medical aid to the newborns for one month, said an official source.

The programme was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on June 1 last year.

Though it is somewhat late, necessary measures have been taken up to implement the programme in Government medical institutions including JNIMS.

As per the guidelines of the programme, pregnant women would be given transportation charge for visiting hospitals.

They would also be given the benefit of free and zero expense both for normal delivery as well as caesarian section.

Necessary medical examinations like blood test, urine test, ultra-sonography etc would be done free of cost.

Moreover, women who deliver baby normally would be allowed to stay in hospitals for three days free of cost and those who undergo CS procedure would be allowed to stay in hospitals for one week without charging any money.

In case of illness among the newborns within one month of delivery, they would be examined, treated, given drugs, blood (if necessary), transportation charge as well as consumables free of cost.

Health Society, Manipur has taken up necessary measures to implement the programme in Government medical institutions.

For this, it has been decided to deposit Rs five lakhs with JNIMS as advance.

According to an intimation from the State Health Society to JNIMS authority, the programme is targeting 23,000 pregnant women and 23,000 neonates within the current financial year.

The State Health Society has also worked out the benefits which would be given under the programme.

Women undergoing normal delivery and CS would be given Rs 350 and Rs 1600 each.

Rs 100 per day for diet for three days to women undergoing normal delivery and those undergoing CS would be given the same amount for seven days.

They would also be given Rs 200 for diagnosis including USG.

In cases of CS, the mothers would be given Rs 250 for blood transfusion an another Rs 1000 for referral transport.

But there is a wide gap between the amounts worked out by the State Health Society and the actual amounts needed for child delivery in hospitals whether it is normal or CS.

As such, it is most likely that JSSK may be reduced to a farce in Manipur, added the source.

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