Abstract
More than 5,000 women die every year in Gujarat due to pregnancy complications in remote and tribal areas. The state, which faces an acute shortage of qualified gynaecologists in public health facilities, devised the Chiranjeevi Yojana wherein women below poverty line can go to empanelled private nursing homes at the government's cost. A survey in Surat district shows that empanelled private providers are situated in urban areas and most of them take on only safe cases, sending the complicated ones to public hospitals. This defeats the entire purpose of the scheme as complications requiring emergency obstetric care are the major cause of maternal mortality. Also, if only safe cases are treated, the reduction in maternal mortality shown under the scheme is questionable.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 13-15 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Economic and Political Weekly |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue number | 48 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2009 |
