Grants for Pregnant Women

It is very important that successive Governments and public as a whole to provide unstinted and continuous support to pregnant women. They are the vulnerable lot in the country. Pregnant women require help during pregnancy through medicine, healthy & vitamin food, timely medical care, etc.

Though in USA, women are in the forefront in all walks of life in some areas ahead of men, there are a plethora of women who are living in poor conditions i.e. below poverty line. According to Government guidelines, less than $ 1.25 earnings per day is considered as BPL and there are aplenty in that category.

What the Government has to do is earmark sufficient funds for the elevation of such deprived women and the amount should be vested with local administration so that the amount is distributed to the needy only. The local administration should be held accountable for the amount and its distribution.

Local administration must study the plight of Pregnant Women whether they are financially sound or belong to BPL, educated, employed with Government or private Departments; they are interested to do self-employment, etc. If they are interested to engage in self-employment, Local administration should lend a helping hand in arranging the necessary paraphernalia both administratively and financially.

Local administration must ensure that the employer takes care of their health, timely medical care and provide maternity leave as and when requires, if the Pregnant Women are employed.

Healthy food during pregnancy is a must and unavoidable under any circumstances. Here too the Local administration must ensure that Pregnant Women is not deprived of such a course of food. A healthy woman is the proud mother of an equally healthy child. Local Administration is given instruction that a lion’s part of Grants entrusted with local administration should be kept away for this purpose. The local administration can consider a tie-up with Insurance Company for a Mediclaim Policy for Pregnant Women or the local administration can pay up for medical bills and hospital expenses. This will also ease the hardship of Local administration.

While they are on maternity leave, the local administration can persuade them to start for a higher study. The National and Federal Governments in close liaison must ensure that scholarships are provided for higher studies for pregnant women. This will ensure that they are in a confident mood when they are able to do work after delivery.

If the grants allocated for Pregnant Women’s welfare are utilized properly, we can ensure that we have a healthy community.