The Darjeeling district health department will introduce a central
government scheme in government hospitals from August 9 to give free
treatment to pregnant women to bring down maternal and infant mortality
rates.
According to Asit Biswas, the chief medical officer of health,
Darjeeling, the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Yojna scheme will be
launched in the district on August 9.
Biswas said: "Under the PMSMY scheme, on 9th of every month, free
medical treatment will be given to expecting mothers at the
subdivisional and district hospitals and the North Bengal Medical
College and Hospital."
"The doctors will examine the patients and conduct necessary tests
like ultra sonography and blood tests. They will also provide the women
with medicines like iron tablets at the hospitals," he added.
The scheme was launched in June, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi
made an appeal to the doctors across the country to provide free
antenatal treatment to pregnant women once a day in every month, at a
rally in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in May.
The Union ministry of health and family welfare launched the scheme
in states like Bihar, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Uttar
Pradesh on June 9 when free treatment was provided to pregnant women in
the state-run hospitals.
Sources at NBMCH said the purpose of the scheme was to bring every
pregnant woman to health centres during the course of their pregnancy so
that there were less chances of maternal and infant deaths.
An NBMCH doctor said: "There are women in the remote locations who
never visit hospital during the course of their pregnancy. Some visit
hospitals only when they develop complications. Sometimes the doctors
despite putting in their best efforts cannot prevent maternal and infant
deaths. Providing free medical treatment to pregnant women every month
is a unique initiative. It will help lure majority of pregnant women
from the remotest areas to visit the hospitals and avail themselves of
the free antenatal care."
"A meeting on the implementation of the scheme was held at Swasthya
Bhavan in Calcutta last week. It was attended by health officials of
Darjeeling district where they were asked to implement the scheme in the
district on August 9," he said.
The doctor added: "There are already two Central government projects
like the Janani Suraksha Yojna and Janani Sishu Suraksha Yojna that are
being implemented for reducing maternal and child deaths."(TT)
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