Infant mortality high despite ambitious scheme

Under the scheme,it is mandatory for the administration to stock medicines and provide clean drinking water in tribal districts.

Sources in the directorate of health services said the high mortality was due to a number of factors,such as malnourishment,that could not be mitigated under the scheme.

Women and child welfare department statistics reveal the state recorded 63,49,846 deliveries,1,02,613 foetus deaths and 21,509 child deaths between 2008 and 2012. The stats were generated by a survey conducted by a committee to control malnourishment.

The government,however,is hopeful of bringing down infant mortality from 22 per cent to 10 per cent by 2014-15 through various schemes and allocation of additional funds.

A report reveals a sizeable amount set aside for the various welfare schemes taken up by the women and child development department remains unspent. This includes money allocated for nourishment of pregnant women.

Of the Rs 4,133 lakh allocated to prevent death due to malnourishment in womb or soon after delivery between 2008 and 2013,only Rs 2,602 lakh was spent.

Navsanjeevan Yojana

The scheme is for areas that see frequent epidemics of gastro,cholera and hepatitis,where there is no communication,especially in monsoons,where public distribution system and anganwadis do not exist and which have recently reported infant deaths