Pregnant women pay bribes to avail free maternal health service in Uttar Pradesh
The staff of a Community Health Centre of Mirjapur village in Uttar Pradesh, have been demanding cash from pregnant women before providing service of any kind. As a result, they are forced to buy medicine from outside shops. It has also been pointed out that, many times even drivers of the Janani express vehicles & Asha workers demand money from these patients.

 Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is a safe motherhood intervention under the National Rural Health Mission (NHM). It is being implemented with the objective of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality by promoting institutional delivery among poor pregnant women. As per provisions of the Janani Suraksha Yojna,  pregnant women are entitled to get free services like medicines, ambulance rides and free vaccination for their newborns.

VV-PACS Community Correspondent Anil Kumar from Badohi reports how the scheme which has been implemented by the Government promising to ensure safe motherhood has failed in benefitting the real beneficiaries. Hence the demand of the local residents is for the District Administration and the Chief District Medical Officer to intervene in this matter , so that immediate measures can be taken for providing quality health service in the district.