In the face of popular demand, the administration is standing its ground by restricting benefits of the State’s new maternity scheme to two births in order to keep Telangana’s fertility rate under control.
In the week since ‘KCR Kits’ and ‘Ammavodi’ schemes were launched, government hospitals have seen an increase in the number of women opting for delivery in the government hospitals. In some district hospitals, the increase in both C-section as well as natural births, have doubled. Many women who have given birth more than twice in the past have approached hospitals hoping to avail the schemes which come with cash transfer benefit of ₹ 12,000 in four instalments.
More women
“The numbers in May have swelled over that of April in our district hospitals. We have been approached by women, many who have had girls in the past but recently delivered a boy child, queue up for registration,” said a health official of one of the State’s southern districts, adding that such claims were rejected.
Telangana’s fertility rate stands at 1.8 which means women in the State on an average give birth to less than two children. This is lower than the widely accepted replacement fertility rate of two. The replacement fertility rate is the rate at which a population exactly replaces its previous generation.
High risk cases
The State’s maternal benefit schemes, launched on June 2, are restricted to women giving birth twice. In case of twins or multiple deliveries, while the kits are given for each child, the cash transfer is for only one occasion of birth.
According to data available with the government, over three lakh pregnant women have registered, of whom 160 high-risk cases have been identified across the State. District health administrations screen the registration to ensure conformity with the scheme’s norms.
The demand from various quarters to expand the benefits has reached the senior leadership of the department which maintains that there can be no relaxation for the general population. However, relaxing the two-child norm for availing benefits is under consideration for protected tribes in pockets of the State.
“Though the response has been encouraging, we cannot relax the norm as the State’s fertility rate was lowered after much effort. The government is keen on the two-child per family policy,” said Karuna Vakati, Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare.
