The Hindu : National : Population scheme to include private doctors

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 14, 2004

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National

Population scheme to include private doctors

By Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI, SEPT 13. The Government plans to include private doctors in the population stabilisation programme by providing loans to set up primary health facilities at the district level. The scheme would initially be launched in 210 demographically weak districts of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand based on the Total Fertility Rates and unmet needs.

Although the two-child norm is not formally adopted in the family welfare programme, the focus would be on providing safe deliveries for a "small family" and a quality procedure (for sterilisation). The thrust would be on "efficiency and quality services."

Bid to enlarge scope

The proposal is to provide professional indemnity insurance to private doctors who get themselves accredited and registered with the Government for providing family planning services including sterilisations — on the lines of the system adopted in Tamil Nadu and some other southern States. This way the Government aims to enlarge the scope and availability of family welfare services for women — and men — at the district level, the Central Secretary for Family Welfare, P.K. Hota, told The Hindu .

The compensation package to doctors for conducting sterilisations and Intra-Uterine Device (IUD) insertions would include Rs 1,200 for every procedure including payment of Rs. 400 to the Trained Birth Attendant to cover cost of travel, food, etc.

In addition, banks have been approached to announce a special package of loans up to Rs. 10 lakhs to the accredited doctors to improve their facility with proper operation theatre. By Government calculations, these loans would be viable as an accredited clinic is expected to earn at least Rs. 25,000 extra a month through the additional sterilisation procedures. It is expected that women would be brought in "clusters" by "sakhis" or a pool of trained "dais" and "anganwadi" workers who would be paid for their effort. "Sakhis" would counsel women first for voluntary sterilisation.

The scheme is said to be in line with the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) which pledges to replicate the successes of some of the southern States in family planning with "a sharply targeted Population Control Programme which will be launched in 150-odd high-fertility districts" (raised to 210 districts).

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