A research analysis carried out by Centre for the Study of Regional Development, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Discipline of Economics Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Institute of Technology has inferred gaps in maternal healthcare services.
Facing off the government’s ambitious programs for curtailing out of pocket expenditures for pregnant women, the required costs remain ten times higher than the provided aid.
A research analysis carried out by Centre for the Study of Regional Development, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Discipline of Economics Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Institute of Technology has inferred gaps in maternal healthcare services.
In a bid to reduce out of pocket expenditures on maternal health care services, and improve maternal health outcomes in the country, the Centre and some State Governments have implemented demand-side financing schemes such as Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), Agra Voucher Scheme, MAMATA scheme.
In particular, the JSY the world’s largest Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme under the National Health Mission (NHM) is being implemented with the aim of reducing financial barriers in maternal health care services.
Researchers used data from the 71st round of the National Sample Survey (2014) to estimate maternity expenditure and its predictors.
“The results indicate that maternity entitlements for women under the JSY scheme are not sufficient to lift households out of catastrophic spending because the mean spending on maternity care (Rs17,220) is ten times higher than the Voucher amount obtainable under JSY entitlements (Rs1,535). Even the delivery cost of Rs10,678 is significantly higher than the JSY entitlement,” said Srinivas Goli, Assistant Professor, JNU.
“Moreover, these are only direct expenditures. Apart from this, there are also indirect costs which need to be factored in women and some of their family members who escorted her may also lose their wages during pregnancy and delivery, which may impact negatively on households in the lower socio-economic status,” he said.
“Government health services in India are marred by unavailability and absenteeism of health professionals, poor health care facility and infrastructure, shortage of drugs and equipment, physical inaccessibility and some anecdotal evidence of callous behaviour of healthcare professionals. These factors have contributed to an increase in the proportion of women attracted towards private maternal health care services,” Goli further added.
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