Over 60% underprivileged pregnant women in Chandigarh do not receive monetary benefits provided under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY).

This issue was reported in the findings of a study — Factors influencing Janani Suraksha Yojana utilisation in a northern city of India — conducted by experts from Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32.

The study found that only 34 of the 100 pregnant women interviewed got the monetary assistance. Staff crunch, paperwork and undue delay in releasing money were among the main reasons.

JSY is a centrally sponsored scheme that aims at reducing maternal and neo-natal mortality by promoting institutional delivery among poor and pregnant women. Under the scheme, women are given cash assistance between Rs 600 to Rs 1,400 for delivery and post-delivery care.

“The JSY scheme was launched in the city in 2007. To document the effectiveness of its implementation in the city, this study was conducted,” Dr Sonu Goel, from school of public health, PGIMER, said.

“Out of 100 mothers, 94 delivered in health institutions but only 34 received cash benefit. The number is minimal despite the fact that 100% women knew about the benefits of the scheme,” states the study. Women from rural areas aged above 25 years lagged behind in availing the JSY benefit.

WHY THE GAP?

The doctors interviewed mothers, who said that getting monetary benefits was a “tedious task” leading to “lots of paperwork”.

“Some mothers said that they had to travel so much that at times the amount spent on travelling exceeded the money credited to their account. Others believe that there is a lot of paper work involved and that even after completing all formalities, they do not get money on time,” the doctor added.

“When we questions the auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM), they too said that the meagre JSY amount was a demotivating factor. Others felt that there was problem in arranging a residence proof for migrants, which is a necessary document for availing the benefit,” said Dr Goel.

OFFICIAL SPEAK

The nodal officer for reproductive and child health looking after the JSY scheme in Chandigarh said that due to certain technical issues in linking Aadhaar to the JSY payment system, funds could not be disbursed on time. The officer further said another reason was lack of staff, such as additional ANM).

CONCLUSIONS FROM THE STUDY

“Though the JSY scheme has led to a high rate of institutional delivery, the monetary incentive was not availed by most beneficiaries. There is a need to remove the bottlenecks and ensure smooth delivery of cash benefits,” the study concluded.