After free and cashless deliveries, newborn babies and mothers were transported back home free of cost by the Government Headquarters hospital here, thanks to the implementation of Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) scheme.
The scheme rolled out by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is being implemented in the hospital since October 15, making available a host of benefits to the young mothers free of cost.
After delivery and discharge from the hospital, poor families from rural areas had to shell out more than Rs. 1,500 on cabs to reach home. Now thanks to the JSSK scheme, the young mothers and their family members step out of the ward to board a waiting cab to reach home.
“We arrange free transport after discharge to at least 15 to 20 young mothers a day and about 300 mothers a month, spending about Rs. 60,000 under the JSSK scheme,” Hospital Superintendent D.K.Krishnamurthy has said.
The Obstetrics and Maternity ward in the hospital was fully equipped with all facilities, including the recently introduced DIPSI (Diabetes in Pregnancy Study group India) criteria single-step test for Gestation Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) and Troponin test to separate serum from blood, he said talking to ‘The Hindu.’
About 300 to 350 deliveries were taking place in the hospital, including 30 to 35 Caesarean section deliveries in a month with zero per cent child and maternal mortality rate, he said.
The Hospital Laboratory which has facilities to undertake 18 different para bio-chemical tests was also being assessed for its quality by the Christian Medical College (CMC) hospital, Vellore. In the external quality control assessment, which was ending this month, the laboratory has emerged as the best performer and the internal quality control assessment would begin in January next, he said.
The laboratory was carrying out about 35,000 investigations in a month and has facilities to test Dengue, Chickungunya and Leptospirosis fevers, he added.
The blood bank has secured licence for storing fresh frozen plasma, he said adding the bank was yet to get plasma separation facility and presently procuring frozen plasma from the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai.
