Rural Poor to Get Free Maternal Healthcare In Karnataka

Bangalore: An NGO and a research and training institute will soon provide free maternal healthcare to poor families in rural areas across Karnataka.

Christened Panchami, the project is being implemented by city-based NGO Karuna Trust and the Asian Research and Training Institute for Skill Transfer (Artist).

"We are setting up first referral units in rural areas to provide free maternal healthcare services in backward districts of the state to below poverty line (BPL) families and at a nominal fee to above poverty line (APL) mothers for every delivery," Karuna Trust secretary H. Sudarshan told IANS here.

The initiative will be implemented through the public-private partnership (PPP) route with funds from the state-run National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to adopt and manage the referral units.

"We have pioneered and implemented a PPP model on a pilot basis to invest the state funds optimally in public healthcare infrastructure through our socially not-for-profit team of professionals," Sudarshan said.

The trust will identify doctors and nurses for each referral unit, while Artist will build staff capacity, monitor its services, provide technical support and operate a helpline.

"Artist will operate the consulting units round-the-clock and no patient will be turned away. The initiative will improve the quality of maternal healthcare in the state," Sudarshan added.

The referral units will also screen, scan, conduct lab tests and supply medicines to patients and for institutional delivery.

As state-run referral units in rural areas are suffering from lack of qualified doctors and trained nurses, local population remains deprived of better healthcare services.

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