“Yashoda Health Scheme”,

Ram Kishan Fauji, Haryana Chief Parliamentary Secretary, attached with the Health Department, said under the new “Yashoda Health Scheme”, volunteers would be deployed in the district hospitals of Ambala, Panchkula and Faridabad with more than 3,000 deliveries per year for the Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) counselling to mothers who had recently undergone delivery in the hospital.
While giving details of the project, Fauji said the districts had been selected on the annual delivery rate, Ambala - 3,200 cases, Panchkula - 5,542 cases and Faridabad - 4,200 cases. For this purpose, the state government had earmarked Rs 12.8 lakh for all district hospitals. He added that the Yashoda Scheme would soon be extended to all other government hospitals also. He said for each district eight Yashoda volunteers would be employed for three shifts of eight hours each, supported by a pair as a reliever. There would be one Yashoda per five to six women in each shift. Each Yashoda would be provided with an incentive of Rs 100 per delivery, which would enable one Yashoda to earn Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500 per month.
Fauji added that the Yashodas would work under the supervision a retired nurse, who would act as a Yashoda supervisor. She would be paid Rs 7,500 per month. He said seminars would also be conducted for generating awareness regarding correct feeding practises and the Infant Milk Substitute (IMS) Act among doctors and the health staff. He said a booklet in Hindi would also be provided to each mother, undergoing counselling with information on the benefit of bathing, early breastfeeding, immunisation and intake of healthy food.
Fauji added that Yashoda would facilitate registration of mothers at the time of women reaching the hospital for delivery, act as a companion during delivery and also help in cleaning, wrapping and putting identification tag to newborn, care of newborn, recording of birth weight, support to mother and early initiation of breastfeeding .