Pradhan Mantri Pregnancy Aid Scheme

Apply Pradhan Mantri Pregnancy Aid Scheme, Pregnancy is an important stage of “procreation”; a universal phenomenon for keeping the human civilization, moving forward. This is the most crucial period for a pregnant and lactating woman, as well as the child, being nurtured in her wombs During 1982-86, a pilot study was conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research for estimating the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR).

The statistics related to rural areas revealed 638 deaths per hundred thousand live births. According to The Times of India blog, 17% of the global maternal deaths occur in India. On 31st December 2016, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi announced the Pradhan Mantri Pregnancy Aid (Bhatta). It is yet to be implemented. The program has been taken up under the National Food Security Act; passed during the year 2013.

Target of World Health Organization (WHO)

It has been targeted by WHO that between 2016 and 2030, the overall global MMR will be brought down to less than 70 per 100,000 live births. This is, as a part of the Sustainable Development Goals. The Pradhan Mantri Pregnancy Aid is the right step towards India’s contribution towards this global effort.

Background

As a Pilot project, the Ministry of Child and Women Development implemented, across the country, a scheme for Pregnant and Lactating women. This was in the year 2010. The scheme was then known as Indira Gandhi Matritva Shayog Yojna (IGMSY) and was introduced in 52 districts across the country. As per the scheme, a cash incentive of Rs 4000 was given to pregnant women, subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions. The current Pradhan mantra pregnancy aid scheme is a sequel to the IGMSY.

DETAILS OF THE PREGNANCY AID SCHEME

• Scope

Only those women who undergo delivery in a hospital will be eligible to be covered under the scheme. However, since the details related to the present scheme are being worked out, some of the particulars given below are based on the IGMSY

• Benefits

A financial aid of Rs 6000; against Rs 4000 of IGMSY, will be given to pregnant women for meeting a part or whole of the expenses, related to i) Nutritional food, ii) Hospital admission expenses and iii) Vaccination.

• Eligibility Criteria

As per the IGMSY, the scheme was applied to those who fulfilled the following criteria. They must be above the age of 19 years and must be within two live births. In all probability, the current pregnancy aid scheme will adopt these criteria, with minor alterations.

• Registration

As per the IGMSY, pregnancy was required to be registered with the Anganwadi, within four months of conceiving.

• Areas to be Covered

650 countries of the country will be covered by the pregnancy aid scheme

• Procedure for Money Transfer

As per IGMSY, money was transferred to the eligible pregnant and lactating women in two stages

1. 50% of the aid were transferred, subject to complying to the following; a) Registration of conception, b) Presenting herself, physically, in at least one parental care session and taking of tetanus toxoid injection and Iron- folic acid tablets. c) Attending, at least one of the three counseling session at the Anganwadi center or a health care center

2. The balance 50% were released on the fulfillment of the following; a) Registering the birth, b) Immunization of the child, with Oral Polliovirus vaccine and thereafter; Bacillus Calmette, at six weeks and Guerin, at 10 weeks.

• Attending, at least two growth monitoring sessions, within a period of three months of child delivery

1. As regards modalities of payment, the same methods as are adopted for payment of government scheme may be applied. Money may be transferred through nationalized banks, cooperative banks and post offices. Money will be transferred directly, to the account of the eligible beneficiaries and not through any middle men.

2. The scheme is a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) program

Financial Involvement for the Government

As per a statistic revealed by the Registrar General of India, there are about 2.9 crores pregnant women, every year, in India. Considering a payment of Rs 6,000 per head, the cost to the Exchequer will be to the tune of 16, 000 crores. The annual budget allocation for IGMSY is Re 400 crores, presently. Therefore, adequate funds should be set aside, year after year, for achieving the target. of the World Health Organization (WHO)

Synonymous Central Government Program

There is another program known as Janani Surakshya Shishu Karyakram (JSSK), which was announced in 2011, but is yet to be implemented. Yet another program that was launched last year is Pradhan Mantri Matritwa Suraksha Abhiyan (PMMSA)

Likely Anomalies

The eligibility criteria require that the pregnant women have to be admitted to a hospital and the baby should be fully immunized for getting the amount. In India, there are vast, remote areas where services of doctors or hospitals are not available. As per the experience of PMMSA, only 19.7% of women get services of doctors. Money is spent on medicines, diagnostic and sonography test, etc. The same statistics reveal that about 40% women deliver in hospitals. In such scenario, a substantial portion of pregnant women, who are in the real need of the aid, will be deprived of the same. Since it is still in the working stage, due attention should be given to make it reach to the rural poor pregnant women.

How to Apply for Pregnancy Aid Yojana

It is only a month that the Pregnancy Aid Scheme has been announced by our prime Minister. Official documentation about the details of the scheme is yet to come for public availability. However, since, a similar program, IGMSY had already been experimentally tried; a final picture is expected to come very soon. It will then be clear as to where to apply and how to apply. Moreover, the forms for submission of application are to be designed. It is expected that Aganwadis will be entrusted with the task of identifying the eligible women. So, any government notification or further details can be had from there. It is also sure that the newspapers will publish the details, once it is announced by the government.