The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Primary health centres to provide free meals to women admitted for delivery

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Sunday, Sep 14, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Primary health centres to provide free meals to women admitted for delivery

Special Correspondent

Scheme to also cover those undergoing sterilisation procedure

— PHOTO: S. THANTHONI

NEW RECRUITS: Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam issuing appointment orders to nurses at a function in Chennai on Saturday.

CHENNAI: From Monday, primary health centres (PHCs) across the State will provide free meals thrice a day for three days to all women admitted for delivery, and those undergoing the sterilisation procedure.

Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam, who announced the decision here on Saturday, said the meals scheme was in addition to the free meals being provided to women on the day they visited ante-natal clinics. The free meals scheme was being implemented with the support of self-help groups in nearby areas.

Also, beginning Monday, all 1,421 primary health centres in the State will function round-the-clock. Currently, 1,000 PHCs work 24 hours. Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi will take part in a function to be held on the occasion of the C.N. Annadurai’s birth centenary to mark the 100 per cent coverage of the PHCs. No other State had performed such a feat, a press release said.

In 1999, the scheme was launched in 90 PHCs with three nurses each. After the present Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam regime took over, it was extended to 600 PHCs with 1,800 nurses. Last year, 220 more PHCs were covered with 660 nurses and the figure of PHCs reached the 1,000 mark. Every year, 2.5 lakh deliveries and 60,000 surgeries are conducted in the PHCs.

A sum of Rs.1.61 crore has been earmarked for providing food to the pregnant women for three days. For providing food to them once a week, Rs.25.5 lakh has been earmarked under the National Rural Health Mission, the release said.

On Saturday, Mr. Panneerselvam distributed appointment orders to 279 nurses. The rest of the nurses would get their orders in the coming days, he said. The nurses would work at the PHC for the first two years on a consolidated monthly pay of Rs.3,500.

To reporters’ queries, he said by next year the government would set up medical colleges at Tiruvarur, Villupuram, Perambalur and Sivaganga.

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