All PHCs in TN to handle delivery cases 24 hrs

Chennai, Sep 13 (UNI) Beginning September 15, all 1,421 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Tamil Nadu will handle delivery cases round-the-clock besides offering free food to pregnant women.

Both the schemes, announced by Health Minister M R K Panneerselvam during the last Assembly Session while moving the Demand for Grants for his Department, would be launched by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on September 15, the birth centenary of his political mentor and DMK Founder C N Annadurai.

An official release here said so far such services were offered by 1,000 PHCs in the State.

Consequent to the Minister's announcement, the remaining 421 PHCs would offer the services 24 hours a day.

From the same day,pregnant women coming for delivery and those opting for family planning surgeries in the PHCs would be provided three meals a day.

The release said PHCs had been handling 2.5 lakh delivery cases and performing 50,000 family planning operations a year.

With a view to give fillp, the State Government had sanctioned Rs 1.61 crore for the PHCs under the three meals-a-day programme.

The government also announced free lunch would be given once in a week to pregnant women coming for scanning at PHCs and Rs 25.50 lakh would be given to PHCs under the National Rural Welfare scheme.

The free meal scheme at PHCs would ensure reduction in Mother and Infant Mortality Rates, an official release here said.

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