Efficacy and Realization of Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Benefit Scheme in Madurai District, Tamilnadu, India

The health issues of women accomplished a greater international importance in the recent days. There are so many targeted policies and programmes were implemented in viewing the importance of women’s health. The major objectives of the study is to find out the awareness and utilization of maternity benefit scheme, to examine the problems faced by the respondents in receiving the maternity benefit scheme, and to analyse the satisfaction level of the respondents towards the maternity benefit scheme. A Sample of about 10 respondents is taken from each type of hospital i.e., from 17 Maternity homes and 13 Primary Health Centres. 75 respondents were taken from the Government hospital. Therefore, a total of 375 samples are included for the study. Out of the 375 samples, 371 were taken for the study because of its reliability. Percentage analysis is used to interpret the actual data to present valid inferences. Likert Summated Scaling Technique is used to measure the attitude about the importance of maternal benefit schemes. Majority of the respondents were aware about the maternity benefit scheme. Only six percent of the respondents knows the correct age limit of receiving assistance which is 19 years. Most of the women respondents are not in a position to decide about receiving the benefit. 54 percent of the respondents opined that availing maternity benefit is a long process. 82 percent of the respondents said that there are too many health check-up like sugar, blood, Blood pressure, weight and routine health check-ups which they thought as unnecessary. Likert summated scaling technique proves that 62 percent of the respondents had a favourable attitude towards the maternal benefit scheme. They have benefitted more on the scheme and they have suggested to make an awareness campaign among the pregnant women to make use of the benefit scheme. The Government should categorize the genuine deprived people by way of checking their income.