The Hindu : Karnataka News : ‘Infant mortality rate is increasing’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 23, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka

‘Infant mortality rate is increasing’

Staff Correspondent

The Government launched the Madilu scheme in October this year
Under the scheme hygiene kits are distributed to pregnant women

Benefits: Bharamasagar MLA H. Anjaneya and Chitradurga MLA G.H. Tippareddy distributing kits under the Madilu scheme in Chitradurga on Thursday.

Chitradurga: The country’s infant mortality rate is increasing owing to lack of medical care and awareness among women, particularly in rural areas, according to H. Anjaneya, Bharamasagar MLA.

He was speaking at a programme organised to distribute kits to pregnant women under the Madilu scheme here on Thursday.

He said that the Government had launched the scheme in October with the objective of providing better healthcare and to encourage delivery at government hospitals.

Mr. Anjaneya said that people should give priority to hygienic surroundings, which would minimise the risk of infectious diseases. The kit contained several items, including a mosquito net, soap, lotion, he said.

Chitradurga MLA G.H. Tippareddy regretted that despite several government schemes, deserving people were still being deprived of the benefits. “The Madilu scheme has been launched for people living below the poverty line (BPL). But several people could not avail themselves of this benefit, as their names were not included in the BPL category,” he said.

He appreciated the work of the district Health Department in implementing schemes such as Madilu and Janani Suraksha Yojane successfully. He also expressed concern about the abominable practice of female infanticide. He called upon people to desist from the inhuman practice. “The male-female ratio is being affected owing to female infanticide,” he said.

District Health Officer Timmareddy said that after the introduction of the Janani Suraksha Yojane, the delivery cases in the hospital had increased to 78 per cent from 58 per cent. The Government wants to increase it to 90 per cent,” he said.

Kits were given to 25 women from different taluks of the district.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka