Lok Sabha Question No. 3156 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-06
Subject: Health Security to Women
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Jyotsna Charandas Mahant, Badruddin Ajmal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK   SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3156 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06 TH  AUGUST, 2021

## HEALTH SECURITY TO WOMEN

## 3156. SHRIMATI JYOTSNA CHARANDAS MAHANT: SHRI M. BADRUDDIN AJMAL:

Will the Minister of HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- a) whether  the  Government  provides  guarantee  of  health      security/  treatment  to  women, particularly  to  the  pregnant  ones  keeping  in  view  of  the  rise  in  diseases  as  well  as apprehension of third wave of COVID-19 and if so, the details thereof;
- b) whether any specific Scheme is being implemented to provide adequate health care facilities in health care centres in all the States/UTs for taking careof health/treatment of women;
- c) if so, the details thereof;
- d) whether there is any proposal to set up hospitals exclusively for treatment of women specific diseases  across  the  country  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof,  State/UT-wise  particularly  in Assam; and
- d) the funds allocated for this purpose?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a)  to  (c): Ayushman  Bharat  Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  Arogya  Yojana  (AB  PM-JAY) is  a flagship health assurance scheme of the Government of India which aims at providing a health cover  of  Rs.  5  Lakhs  per  family  per  year  for  secondary  and  tertiary  care  hospitalizations  for 10.75  Crore  beneficiary  families  identified  from  SECC  2011  as  per  select  deprivation  and occupational  criteria  in  rural  and  urban  areas  respectively.  The  scheme  is  currently  being implemented by 33 State/UTs except West Bengal, Odisha and NCT of Delhi. These State/UTs have further expanded the beneficiary base to nearly 13.44 Crore families.
- Women make up 48.56% of eligible beneficiaries under AB PM-JAY as per SECC 2011 database.
- The  health  benefits  packages  under  AB  PM-JAY  covers  1,669  procedures  across  26 different specialties. Of these, 5 procedures deal exclusively with high-risk delivery.

For pregnant women  specifically, the  Janani  Shishu  Suraksha  Karyakaram (JSSK) was launched with the objective to eliminate out of pocket expenses for both pregnant women and sick infants  accessing  public  health  institution  and  entitles  them  to  free  delivery, including caesarean section, free transport, diagnostics, medicines, other consumables, diet and blood in public health institutions.

Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), a  safe  motherhood intervention with the objective to reduce  maternal  and  neonatal  mortality  by  promoting  institutional  delivery  among  pregnant women especially with weak socio-economic status, i.e. women from SC/ST/BPL households is presently under implementation in all States/UTs with a special focus on Low Performing States and  provides  Cash  incentives  for  women  with  the  special  focus  for  BPL/SC/ST  women  for institutional  delivery  (in  government/  private  accredited  health  facilities)  and  for  BPL  women who prefer for home delivery.

Other major initiatives supported under NHM are implementation of Free Drugs and Free  Diagnostics  Service  Initiatives,  PM  National  Dialysis  Programme  and  implementation  of National  Quality  Assurance  Framework  in  all  public  health  facilities  including  in  rural  areas. Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) & Telemedicine are also being implemented with NHM support to improve healthcare access particularly in rural areas.

As  part  of  Ayushman  Bharat,  more  than  77000Health  and  Wellness  Centres(ABHWCs)are operational across the country for provision of Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC)  that  includes  preventive  healthcare  and  health  promotion  at  the  community  level including screening of women for common non-communicable diseases.

## Furthermore,  States/UTs  are  being  provided  required  technical  and  financial assistance  for  strengthening  of  their  healthcare  system  including  management  of  the COVID-19 public health challenge from time to time.

Further,  to  ensure  that  essential  health  services  including  treatment  for  non-COVID patients  should  not  suffer,  MoHFW  has  issued  following  guidelines  and  advisories  for States/UTs:

- i. Guidance note for enabling Delivery of Essential Health Services during the COVID 19 Outbreak on 14 th April, 2020.
- ii. Guidance note was issued on 21st May, 2020 for Immunization services.
- iii. Guidance  note  on  Essential  Reproductive,  Maternal,  Newborn,  Child.  Adolescent Health Plus Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) Services during and post COVID was issued on 27th May, 2020.
- iv. Advisory issued to ensure access to safe delivery  and antenatal  and postnatal care dated 16 th June 2021.
- v. The funds allocated under NHM for various Maternal Health Initiatives for FY 20-21 is Rs 2,233.48 Cr.
- vi. The  funds  allocated  under  NHM  for  RCH  Flexipool    for  FY  20-21  is  Rs 6,241.02(RE).

(d)  &  (e):  'Public  Health  and  Hospitals'  being  a  State  subject,  the  primary  responsibility  of strengthening  public  healthcare  system,  including  ensuring  provision  of  essential  services including for pregnant women during the Pandemic, lies with the respective State Governments. However,  the  Ministry  of  Health  and  Family  Welfare  provides  the  technical  and  financial support  to  the  States/UTs  to  strengthen  the  public  healthcare  system  towards  the  objective  of providing  accessible,  affordable  and  quality  healthcare  to  all  those  who  access  public  health facilities.

Under NHM, Mother and Child health (MCH) wings are established in District Hospitals/ District  Women's  Hospitals/  Sub-  District  Hospitals/CHC-  First  Referral  Units  (FRUs)  to overcome the constraints of increasing caseloads and institutional deliveries at these facilities. More than 600 MCH wings have been sanctioned in the country.

NHM support  is  also  provided  for  provision  of  a  host  of  free  services  in  public  healthcare facilities in rural and backward areas including treatment of women specific diseases.

Support under National Health Mission (NHM) is provided to States/ UTs to supplement the efforts of the State/UT governments, including for setting up of new facilities as per norms and upgradation of existing facilities for bridging the infrastructure gaps, including in rural and backward  areas  and  implementing  national  programmes  to  provide  quality  healthcare  in  the public  healthcare  system,  based  on  the  requirements  posted  by  them  in  their  Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) and within their overall resource envelope.