Rise in deliveries at government hospitals

The KCR Kits for child and mother care was launched in June 2017. Since its launch in June 2017, 19,938 women in Modern Government Hospital at Petlaburj and 13,229 women in Government Maternity Hospital at Koti were benefited. KCR Kits Scheme is aimed at the wellbeing of pregnant and lactating women and the newborn babies. The pregnant women are given Rs 12,000 financial assistance in three instalments. Rs 1000 given additionally if the baby happens to be a girl.

The idea is to encourage more and more deliveries in the government hospitals, reduce the infant mortality rate and female foeticide. Immediately after the delivery, Government gives KCR Kit with 16 items consisting of clothes, baby soaps, oil, powder, mosquito net, toys, napkins, diapers etc. After the delivery, the mother and newborn are provided with transportation through Amma Odi vehicles. Introduction of KCR Kit Scheme has resulted in increasing the public health institutional deliveries by about 16% from 32.8% to 47.2% since the launch in June, 2017.

An amount of Rs 344.18 crore has been disbursed across the state at an average of 40 kits per day. Within the short span of a year, the average number of distributions and deliveries in government hospitals per month increased 30% as compared to 20% increase in the previous year, reaching more than 7 lakh lakh women in the state. In view of increasing preference of women to have deliveries at government hospitals, the government upgraded facilities at many of them, ensuring better infrastructure, necessary equipment and lab testing facilities.

A special ambulance service with toll call number 102 has been assigned for mother care facilities.A clear improvement is seen in infant mortality rate which has gradually come down from 34 to 28 per 1000 live births.“The kit contains a box full of toys, mosquito net bed, Johnson baby oil, soaps, blankets and clothes for the baby” said Narayana, KCR kit department, Modern Government Hospital.

He felt the hospital would see further increase in the coming months. Due to healthy rise, authorities have planned on adding nearly 2,000 beds in various hospitals entirely for pregnant women in the State. Every mother and her family in the hospital appreciate the programme. “It is blissful for a mother to feel secured financially after giving birth” said Uma Devi, a lactating mother.

-Shehzad Abwani