No charges for delivering baby girl at Indi hospital for 1 year

Vijayapura: Spandana Super Speciality Hospital, a private hospital in Indi town of Vijayapura district, announced free services for the delivery of baby girls for one year. The initiative aims to address concerns such as female foeticide, social stigma against girl children, and the declining gender ratio.Dr Laxmikanth Metri, the hospital's managing director, told TOI that the programme is intended to encourage families to welcome the birth of girls and promote awareness of gender equality. "We did not have full-fledged gynaecologists since the inception of the hospital, 1 and a half years ago. We called gynaecologists at other hospitals and in other cities. We performed 15 deliveries in the hospital. We have now hired Dr Aishwarya Ashok Honawad, an MS (OBG) graduate from AIIMS Raipur, as a full-fledged gynaecologist at the hospital. With this appointment, we are launching a free service for the births of baby girls with a social cause. We utilise this programme to create awareness against female foeticide and in favour of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative of the Prime Minister," he explained.He also said that the hospital requests parents of baby girls to utilise the money saved from the free service for their daughters' education. "Being a father of two daughters, I am proud enough, and I want to see poor parents be happy over the birth of a baby girl. All parents will be happy, whether their first child is a boy or a girl. Worries start if their first baby is a girl. They want to have a baby boy under any condition if their first and second children are girls. However, the reverse is not seen if the first and second babies are boys. Since the Karnataka govt strictly implemented the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostics Techniques (PCPNDT) Act of 1994, many patients cross the state border to know the gender of a foetus. We wish to stop this by offering free services for one year. If we feel our programme is successful and at least some people are aware because of it, then we will extend it for another year," he said.Apart from this initiative, the hospital held free health check-up camps in villages. "We waived off full or partial hospital bills for poor patients after verifying their credentials," Dr Metri asserted.The hospital charges approximately Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 for a normal delivery with a 2-day stay, and Rs 30,000 for a caesarean section with a 3-day stay. "It will be free if the delivered baby is a girl," Dr Metri said.