THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)
(a)to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 296
FOR 30TH AUGUST, 2013
(a) Government of India has launched Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram
(JSSK) on 1st June, 2011 under the overall umbrella of NRHM which entitles
all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions to absolutely
free and no expense delivery, including caesarean section.
The entitlements include free drugs and consumables, free diet up to 3 days
for normal delivery and up to 7 days for C-section, free diagnostics and
free blood wherever required. This initiative also provides for free
transport from home to institution, between facilities in case of a referral
and drop back home. Similar entitlements have been put in place for sick
neonates accessing public health institutions for treatment.
The benefits under the scheme have now been expanded to ante natal and
post natal complications during pregnancy and also sick infants.
(b) The National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC) in its latest
quarterly report based on field visits to select health facilities in 24
districts in 21 States including 7 North-Eastern states has made the
following observations:
# No user fee is being charged for OPD and IPD from pregnant women and
sick newborns in most of the States.
# Availability of drugs in the health facilities has improved significantly.
However, the inventory management and display of essential drugs list needs
improvement.
# Availability of diagnostic facilities for routine tests is better at the
level of District Hospitals and at Community Health Centres (CHCs) and are
being provided free of cost.
# Availability of routine diagnostics in Primary Health Centres particularly
in high focus states needs improvement.
# Provision of diet for pregnant women admitted to the hospitals exists in
almost all states at the District Hospitals and CHC level.
# There are some gaps in availability of emergency diagnostic facilities
below District hospital level and also in Ultrasonography facilities at
First Referral Units below District Hospital.
# Certain gaps exist in the availability of referral transport, particularly
drop back.
# Grievance redressal needs improvement in some of the States.
(c) The same NHSRC report has reported varying levels of awareness in
different States.
The entitlements cover all pregnant women who access public health
institutions for delivery and sick infants including those in
rural areas.
(d) Steps taken by Government of India for effective implementation
of JSSK are :
# Regular Regional and State level review meetings
# Communication through different channels with State Governments
including letters, videoconferencing, etc
# Field visits by central levels teams to monitor the progress of
implementation.
# Popularization of the scheme through Information Education &
Communication (IEC) & Behaviour Change Communication (BCC)
strategies including mass media eg. Satellite channels, FM
channels as well as digital cinema theatres throughout the
country at National and Regional levels.
