In a first of its kind in India, any girl child born in a government hospital or primary health centre (PHCs) in Telangana would get a cash reward of Rs 13,000, besides a health and sanitary bag, called “KCR Kit”, worth another Rs 1,500. A male child born in government-run facilities would get Rs 12,000 plus a “KCR Kit”.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) launched this scheme at a government hospital at Petla Burj in the Old City of Hyderabad on Saturday. He distributed cash and KCR Kits, named after him, to half a dozen women who delivered babies on Friday. Rashida Begum, who gave birth to a girl weighing 2.5 kg, received the first reward and the kit. Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad Commissioner V. Karuna told The Sunday Guardian later that the twin aims of the government are to encourage institutional deliveries in government hospitals and PHCs and to discourage discrimination against girl children. As of now, Tamil Nadu is the only other state in India, which gives Rs 7,000 to mothers who give birth to a girl child.
The “KCR Kit” contains 16 items which are useful to just born babies and mothers. The items include two sets of sarees, two sets of baby dresses, separate soaps, powder, shampoo, bed-sheets and towels. The cash reward will be distributed through the bank accounts of the mothers in four installments, right from the first medical checkup to vaccination of the child.
Karuna explained that at present, there are around 6.5 lakh deliveries in Telangana, but only 30% of them are carried out in government-run institutions. Some of the deliveries in rural areas take place either at homes or non-institutions. There are around 850 government hospitals and PHCs in Telangana.
“Our aim is to increase them to 50% in government-run institutions in the next one or two years,” she told this newspaper. Telangana accounts for a poor show in infant mortality rate, 41 out of every 1,000 deliveries. This is slightly above the national average of 48 per 1,000, but worse than poorer states like Jharkhand (39 for 1,000).