20 million plus budget required for maternal safety program

Kathmandu : The budget crunch has hit the maternal safety program under which pregnant and lactating women are provided incentives. More than 100 local levels have applied for additional budget at Department of Health Services in the last week of the current fiscal year, reasoning they witnessed budget crunch.
The maternal safety programme has been running in a bid to reduce the death of infants and lactating women. The government had allocated Rs 1.31 billion to this programme for this fiscal year. Owing to the budget crunch, the health facilities have been returning the women with new born without incentives.
The Family Health Division under the Department of Health Service has said Rs 2oo million was required for the remaining period of the current fiscal year.
Currently, Rs 400 is provided as pregnant inspiration incentive, while Rs 1,500 is for transportation for delivery in the Himalayan region, Rs 1,000 in the hilly region and Rs 500 in the Tarai region.
Meanwhile, Division Director Taranath Pokhrel has said time has come to amend Maternal and New Born Safety Programme Work Procedure Guideline 2065 (3rd Amendment 2075) because separate guidelines were required for local and provincial levels. Discussion to amend the guideline is in final phase, he added.