SSC Descriptive Writing Precis Writing SSC-CGL (TIER-III) - Passage on Janani Suraksha Yojana

PASSAGE ON JANANI SURAKSHA YOJANA

OVER the last decade, a government programme aimed at increasing institutional deliveries has changed the health-seeking behavior of Indian women. A new study, released on Friday, has found that the maternal health programme Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) led to a 22 per cent increase in women delivering in government hospitals between 2004 and 2014. The scheme also is attributed for increasing the probability of a woman being hospitalized by 1.3 per cent, resulting in a 2 per cent increase in overall hospitalization of women in India. The increase, however marginal, is a cause of celebration as women in rural India are known to delay seeking health interventions.

Launched in 2005, JSY, the world's biggest conditional cash-transfer scheme, aimed to promote institutional delivery - instead of delivering babies at home to improve India's infant and maternal mortality rates. Under JSY, pregnant women choosing to deliver at the hospital and the health worker who motivated her to take the decision get cash incentives - Rs. 1,400 for the woman and JRs.600 for the Accredited Social Health Activist in rural areas and Rs. 1,000 and Rs.200 respectively in urban areas. The cash incentive was intended to reduce financial barriers to accessing institutional care for delivery.

The researchers have found a causal link between JSY and increase in hospitalization, even for non-childbirth-related ailments. The study found that while fertility rates in Indian women have steadily declined (from 2004 when it was 2.88 per woman to 2.4 in 2014), JSY impacted overall hospitalization of women in India. "JSY led to a 15 per cent increase in institutional childbirth with a commensurate decline in deliveries at home. The data also show\s that there is a tremendous increase of over 22 per cent in deliveries in government hospitals. This increase is fuelled by an 8 per cent decline in childbirth at private hospitals and a 16 per cent decline" in childbirth at home. Our analysis shows that the JSY hypothesis holds true and the programme led to a significant increase of 2 percent in overall public hospitalization of women in India," states the Brookings India report.

The study, titled Health and Morbidity n India: 2004-2014'. is based on analysis of the 60th and 71st round of National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) data. Prima facie, childbirth has increased as an 'ailment' causing hospitalization in the NSSO data. Nearly 3, 50,000 women - over two rounds of NSSO surveys - were studied.

THE SUCCESS OF JANANI SURAKSHA YOJANA

Launched in 2005, the Janani Suraksha Yojana programme, has been a great success in taking Indian women to hospitals. Hailed to be the biggest conditional cash transfer scheme in the world, the programme gives cash incentives to the pregnant women and also the health worker who persuaded her to deliver in the hospital. This has led to a significant increase in hospital deliveries and also in hospitalization for other ailments too, which is a great success since Indian women are generally reluctant to seek medical help.