New Delhi: No pregnant woman in the country will be left out of the government's Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) due to lack of funds, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said on Tuesday. Replying to supplementary questions during the Question Hour, the minister told the Rajya Sabha that this programme is need-based and budget is not an issue.
The JSSK entitles all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions to free delivery, including caesarean section. "Do not compare Kerala with Maharashtra as it is population based. Every mother is being taken care of," Nadda said. "No mother is left out because of lack of funds. In Kerala also it is need-based," he said, assuring that every mother in Kerala will have free delivery.
Antenatal check-ups start the day a woman conceives and she is given all vaccines needed before delivery, the minister said. "On the 9th of every month, the district hospital has a facility for free check-ups by a gynaecologist. It is the responsibility of Asha workers to treat the high-risk patients as they need more check-ups. It has to be ensured that the delivery takes place in the institution," he said.
Giving details of the scheme, Nadda said, "When the delivery takes place, if it is a C-section, then the (hospital) stay is free for seven days. If there is a complication with the child, the stay is for 10 days along with the child." "Transportation is provided by the government for taking the mother to the hospital and also dropping her back home after delivery," he said.
