The poll promise of increasing the maternity assistance amount for pregnant women will mean nearly doubling the budget as the State prepares to dole out Rs.12,000.
Hitherto, Rs.6000 was being given to pregnant women, split into instalments of Rs.3000, during maternity and after delivery for every live birth. The dole will be provided for two children for every woman who comes under the below poverty line category.
With the dole amount being increased, discussions are on as to the best methods of splitting the entire amount. One of the suggestions is to split it three ways, into instalments of Rs.4000. The first will be given during pregnancy, the second after delivery for a live birth.
The third will be held over, to be given within the first three months of the birth of the child. The major vaccinations have to be given within the first three months and it is presumed the third instalment will be an incentive to mothers to bring their babies for vaccination without fail. It is also hoped that this will improve Infant Mortality Rate in the State and enable 100 per cent coverage for vaccination.
The total expenditure on the Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Benefit Scheme since September 2006, when it was launched, has been increased annually. From September 2006 to March 2007, a sum of Rs.100 crore was allotted, all of which was disbursed. During the 2007-2008 financial year, the allocation was upped to Rs.300 crore, further enhanced by Rs.50 crore to Rs.350 crore for 2008-2009.
For the last two years, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, the annual budgetary allocation for the scheme was Rs.360 crore, says R.T. Porkaipandian, Director of Public Health. As on May 20 this year, Rs.1430 crore had been distributed. While Rs.180 crore had been sanctioned in the vote-on-account budget held before elections, it could not be disbursed, in keeping with Election Commission restrictions. A total of 26.44 lakh beneficiaries were given the assistance.
Enhanced coverage
While initially the rule was to include only women below the poverty line, excluding those who had mobile phones, over the years, with practical interpretation of the poverty clause, all women who come to PHCs for delivery began to be covered, Dr. Porkaipandian adds.
