GO issued to 3 hospitals on mother-child scheme

BANGALORE: Following orders from the Union Health Ministry for effectively implementing the Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), the Health Department on Wednesday issued a government order (GO) to three city hospitals.Speaking to reporters at a workshop organised by the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare here on Thursday, Mission Director Selva Kumar said that three government hospitals - KC General Hospital at Malleswaram, Jayanagar General Hospital at Jayanagar and Ghousia Hospital at Shivajinagar - have been issued government order on Wednesday.Besides, other hospital under medical education, taluk, district, community and primary health centres and BBMP hospitals will soon be issued this order.Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), aims to reduce Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), besides encouraging institutional deliveries, and also aims to offer completely free and cashless services including normal or caesarian delivery in the government hospitals.Besides, the scheme also envisages free treatment for the sick new born (up to 30 days after birth) in any government health institution in rural or urban areas.“These entitlements were earlier confined to only below poverty line (BPL) people, but now with this new scheme it will now be extended to all irrespective of their social strata.In addition, presently, pregnant women or their families have to shell out from her pocket for user charges, and some of the diagnostic tests even in the case of institutional deliveries.However in this new national scheme, they can enjoy more benefits and entitlement at no cost,” said Selva Kumar.During the workshop, the mission director also maintained that under the Pre- Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act 1994, which was brought into force to stop female feticide, the department has formed, a District Appropriate Authority (DAA), comprising deputy commissioner and tahasildar to inspect and make surprise visit to the scanning centre, clinics and hospitals.“The committee, with the members of NGO, will have to conduct minimum three routine inspections every month,” added the mission director.The workshop also threw light on manpower constraints and how the department, with various incentive schemes, is attracting doctors to work in rural areas.“Despite these schemes, very few people come forward to work in rural areas,” added health secretary, E V Rammanna Reddy.