JANANI SHISHU SURAKSHA SCHEME LAUNCHED

JANANI SHISHU SURAKSHA 

SCHEME LAUNCHED

 Pregnant women coming to government hospitals for giving birth to a child will be given free medical care, food, and travel expenses from Friday under the new national initiative, Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK).Launching the scheme in the State on Thursday — to be known as Mother and Child (Ammayum Kunjum) scheme in Kerala — Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the scheme was a flagship programme of the government and a commitment given to every mother and her new-born child that their total well-being would be ensured.The government hoped to bring down the present maternal mortality rate (MMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR) by half within the next five years, the Chief Minister said. Kerala’s current MMR is 81 (per one lakh live births) and the IMR, 13 (per 1,000 live births).The scheme would ensure cashless delivery services, including Caesarean section, regardless of their above or below poverty line status. The free care services would be available for the mother up to 42 days from the date of giving birth and up to 30 days for every new-born, including care if required in a neonatal ICU.

Every pregnant woman coming to a government hospital would thus be entitled to travel expenses to the hospital and back, all delivery care services (both normal and C-section deliveries), including diagnostic services, ultrasound scans, blood requirement, medicines, free stay, and food.Speaking on the occasion, Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar said the government had launched a number of new initiatives in the health sector, including the Karunya fair price pharmacies, Karunya benevolent scheme, and distribution of free generic drugs.“The Union Health Ministry has allotted Rs.76 crore for implementation of the scheme. We intend to have a network of 238 ambulances on the lines of the 108 ambulance service, exclusively for JSSK. Till this materialises, every woman would be given Rs.500 as travel expenses,” M. Beena, State Mission Director, National Rural Health Mission, said.

Prof. John Kurakar