JANANI SURAKHYA SCHEME & RECENTLY DELIVERED WOMEN IN UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA

Abstract

The current article of Uttar Pradesh (UP) is about the ASHAs who are the daughters-in-law of a family that resides in the same community that they serve as the grassroots health worker since 2005 when the NRHM was introduced in the Empowered Action Group (EAG) states. UP is one such Empowered Action Group (EAG) state. The current study explores the actual activities done by Recently Delivered Women (RDW) through their responses on two activities related to Janani Surakhya Yojana (JSY) scheme which is linked to safe delivery practices. These are availing & not availing the benefits of JSY scheme. From the catchment area of each ASHA, two RDWs were selected who had a child in the age group of 3 to 6 months during the survey. The action profiles of the RDWs on these aspects of JSY scheme are reflected upon to give a picture that represents the entire state of UP.   The relevance of the study assumes significance as detailed data on the modalities of actual actions done by the RDWs separately for availing & not availing the benefits of JSY in their recent delivery to make the delivery safe are not available even in large scale surveys like National Family Health Survey 4 done in 2015-16. The current study gives an insight in to these dual activities separately. The current study is basically regarding the summary of two actions on JSY scheme that is related to safe delivery practices done & replied by RDWs during their ante and post- natal stage.   When decisions are taken by the RDWs and their family members to opt for home delivery, it reflects poorly in the Maternal Mortality Rate & Ratio (MMR) & there by impacting the Neonatal Mortality Rates (NMR) in India and especially in UP through the emergence of unsafe Maternal & Neonatal practices. The current MM Rate of UP is 20.1 & MM Ratio is 216 (SRS, 2019). The SRS report also mentions that the Life Time Risk (LTR) of a woman in pregnancy is 0.7% which is the highest in the nation (SRS, 2019). This means it is very risky to give birth in UP in comparison to other regions in the country (SRS, 2019). Similarly, the current NMR in India is 23 per 1000 livebirths (UNIGME,2018). As NMR data is not available separately for states, the national level data also hold good for the states and that’s how for the state of UP as well. These mortalities are the impact indicators and such indicators can be reduced through long drawn processes that includes effective and timely actions on RDWs in making their deliveries safe. This is the area of dual actions detailing that the current study throws out in relation to JSY schemes.   A total of four districts of Uttar Pradesh were selected purposively for the study and the data collection was conducted in the villages of the respective districts with the help of a pre-tested structured interview schedule with both close-ended and open-ended questions.  The current article deals with two close ended questions with options. In addition, in-depth interviews were also conducted amongst the RDWs and a total 500 respondents had participated in the study.   Among the districts related to this article, the results showed that while in Saharanpur district all the RDWs availed the benefits of JSY, about 13% of RDWs did not avail benefits of JSY in Gonda district. Only 5% in Barabanki district and 3% in Banda district did not avail the benefits of JSY.   Analysis of the reasons given by the RDWs in the 3 districts except Saharanpur for not availing the benefits of JSY showed that 5% in Gonda, 4% in Barabanki and 3% in Banda replied that family members decided to deliver at home. Only 8% in Gonda and 1% in Barabanki replied that there was nobody to take care at home.