KCR Kits give fillip to institutional deliveries

Kothagudem: Gone are the days when people are afraid to get admitted in government hospitals for various ailments, especially for deliveries. Thanks to Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s KCR Kits scheme.

The scheme was introduced in June 2017 and the Kit will be given to the women after delivery. The kit includes special mother and child care soap, newborn baby bed, baby oil, baby mosquito net, dresses for the baby, baby powder, diapers, baby shampoo and toys, sarees for mother, hand bags, towel and napkins, worth Rs 2,000.

Also, Rs 12,000 will be given to the women, who delivers a baby boy and Rs 13,000 to baby girl. The amount will be credited into their accounts in four installments. As per the scheme, the pregnant women has to register their names in the nearby PHC or government hospital. Then the government will credi Rs 5,000 in their accounts.

After the scheme was introduced in the State, the number of deliveries taking place in government hospitals was increased. People belonging to rural and agency areas are benefitted the most from the scheme. Middleclass women also inclining to join the government hospitals.

The records of Bhadradri Kothagudem district shows the increasing popularity of the scheme here. The district mostly consists of agency areas and the people belonging to these areas never used to go to government hospitals earlier due to lack of medical facilities and shortage of doctors and staff.

But the situation changed after the formation of Telangana State. The TRS government, after coming to power, filled up all vacancies in all primary health centers and hospitals across the State and provided all facilities and equipment.

With this the number of visitors to the government hospital was increased and after the introduction of KCR Kits, the number of pregnant women visiting the hospital has increased even more for the past one year.

As per the records, 789 cases were registered in June last year, 759 in July, 909 in August, 787 in September, 784 in October, 776 in November, 595 in December, 583 in January this year, 482 in February, and 589 in March. 210 cases were registered in April till date in all government hospitals including area hospitals in the district.

About 7,263 KCR Kits were distributed to the beneficiaries in the district. Rs 2.86 crores has been distributed as the beneficiary amount to the mothers.Speaking to The Hans India, District Medical and Health Officer Dr Dayanath Swamy said 500 deliveries were registered in government hospitals last year - before the introduction of KCR Kits scheme and the number increased to 800 after the scheme was launched.

All the eligible will get the benefits of the scheme as per the norms, he said.Bhadrachalam Area Hospital created record by conducting highest number of institutional deliveries i.e., 2,783 till date in this year. While not even one delivery was registered in five primary health care centres in the district, he stated.

Speaking to The Hans India, a beneficiary of the scheme, P Rangamma lauded the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for the Kits, which is very useful for women. “It is a blessing from KCR to women, because as common people we cannot efford to get treatment or delivery in corporate or private hospitals.” k