Poor women fail to avail benefits of health scheme

PATIALA:Even after eight years of the launch of a Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSKK), the scheme of free services to pregnant women for deliveries and neonatal care – the pro-poor scheme is not being implemented at the tertiary healthcare institute – Government Rajindra Hospital.

A paediatric ward at Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Karam Prakash
Tribune News Service
Patiala, July 9

Even after eight years of the launch of a Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSKK), the scheme of free services to pregnant women for deliveries and neonatal care – the pro-poor scheme is not being implemented at the tertiary healthcare institute – Government Rajindra Hospital. Consequently, poor patients have to spend, on average, up to Rs 10,000 for the care of mother and her new-born.

Paal Singh (60), a farm labourer, who was running short of money for the treatment of his one-week-old grandchild, was apprehensive about the survival of his child. The newborn was referred to Rajindra Hospital from government health centre Bhadson, a small town in Patiala district.

After spending over Rs 5,000 for the medicines and tests, he has been looking for some sort of help from the government.

He said, “We visit government hospitals with a hope to get treated for free. However, we are being asked to bring medicines from outside the hospital – every day.”

In the meanwhile, Medical Superintendent Rajan Singla said, “A week ago, we had held a meeting with officials, and it was decided that the hospital would a send a proposal for the medicines which will be provided by the government. Currently, we don’t have medicines. ”

Ironically, he is not alone, every day, scores of poor patients have to somehow manage thousands of rupees from their pocket to purchase the medicines. The reason being lack of availability of basic medicines and medical material such as gloves and syringes at Government Rajindra Hospital.

Hospital not aware of pro-poor scheme

A Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakrame scheme, in fact, was launched to help the poor to avoid the difficulty faced by the needy pregnant women and parents of sick newborns. The scheme is meant to provide free services to pregnant women including treatment to the sick newborns (up to 42 days after birth). The said scheme is applicable in government hospitals, community health centres, and primary health centres.

However, the hospital staff was found unaware of the scheme. The doctors of the two departments, gynecology and pediatrics, were not aware of the scheme. Subsequently, doctors were handed a long list of medicines to patients to bring it from outside the hospital.

Meenu Lakhanpal, state nodal officer, said, “The scheme offers free treatment to the mother and newborn. The scheme is being implemented at every government hospital. I will direct the Rajindra hospital officials to look into the matter.”

Entitlements for sick newborns