The Health Department had reached out to 34,120 women in Madurai district during 2012-13 through Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Assistance Scheme.
With good nutrition for pregnant women as the main objective, this scheme is aimed at reducing maternal mortality and low birth weight of babies in urban and rural areas.
Totally, Rs.33.15 crore was disbursed in the district during the year.
The State Government is providing a total cash assistance of Rs.12,000 in three instalments for women in Below Poverty Line category.
While the first instalment of Rs.4,000 is given during the seventh month of pregnancy, the second instalment of same amount is given immediately after the delivery and the third instalment is handed over after the baby gets three doses of vaccination.
S.Senthilkumar, Deputy Director of Health Services, Madurai district, said on Saturday that the fund utilisation was 97.8 per cent and the district stood out as top performers in the State in implementing the maternity assistance scheme.
Of the 34,120 beneficiaries who received the cash assistance, 12,848 were in Madurai Corporation area.
And, the remaining women belonged to 13 blocks and three municipalities in the district.
“Disbursal of assistance has become very easy now since it is done through Electronic Clearing System and the money is credited to the beneficiary’s bank account directly. The condition for this scheme is that the woman must have account only in a nationalised bank,” he said.
As per the data, the total disbursal of assistance in 2012-13 was Rs.33,15,72000. Of this, nearly Rs.11 crore was disbursed for mothers in Madurai Corporation.
Dr.Senthilkumar has said that the implementation of this scheme will become faster as the State Government had announced that laptops would be distributed to Village Health Nurses (VHNs). In Madurai district, 314 VHNs would receive laptops as and when the Government begins distribution.
The Deputy Director said that more than 75 per cent deliveries in Madurai district are taking place in Government hospitals and Primary Health Centres. Seven PHCs in the district have elective caesarean section and family planning procedure is being done in 13 centres.
He said that dental care unit was started at PHCs in Kallandhiri and Samayanallur by appointing dental surgeons. Similar dental facility will be created at three more places including Kallikudi and Chellampatti soon.
