TS Health staff to get perks for carrying out normal deliveries

HYDERABAD: In a move aimed at reducing the C-Section rate, the state government will provide team-based incentives of Rs 3,000 per delivery to staff in government health facilities who carry out normal deliveries above a certain benchmark.

The health, medical and family welfare department on Friday issued an order, GO 486, to this effect. The percentage of normal deliveries performed during the year 2021-22 by a given institution shall be taken as benchmark percentage for that institution for 2022-23. If a public health facility exceeds the 85 per cent threshold of normal deliveries, which is the norm as per the World Health Organisation (WHO), then 85 per cent will be taken as the benchmark for 2022-23.

The benchmarks shall be used to measure improvement in performance on a monthly basis. Performance above the benchmark shall be incentivised for health centres every month and the applicable amount shall be released to the institution on a monthly basis. Institution-based incentives, as well as incentives for field staff, shall be paid on a pro-rata basis.

Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) workers and Asha workers will be paid if they have personally accompanied the pregnant woman to the facility, irrespective of the outcome of the delivery. For this purpose, the hospital shall maintain a register. Funds will be released to the hospital superintendents who shall make payments to the hospital and field staff.

The health facilities shall complete a stipulated number of minimum deliveries per month to be eligible for the incentive. The benchmark per month is 350 deliveries for teaching hospitals, 250 for district hospitals including MCH (maternal and child health), 150 for area hospitals, 50 for community health centres, 10 for 24-7 primary health centres (PHC) and five for PHCs and urban primary health centres.

Among the facility staff, gynaecologistsm medical officers, and midwives, staff nurses and ANMs shall be paid Rs 1,000 each, and ayahs and sanitation workers Rs 500. Among field staff, ANMs and Asha workers will be paid Rs 250 each.