The health department has simplified the rules for quick delivery of financial benefits under the family planning indemnity scheme.

Under this scheme, financial assistance is provided either to the person whose sterilisation procedure has failed or to the family of a person (male or female) who dies during the process. While the compensation earlier reached the beneficiary within three months to six months, the financial assistance will now reach within a month.

Subodh Jaiswal, deputy director, family planning, told The Telegraph: “The Union government’s tie-up with a private insurance company to settle damages ended on March 31. The Centre then decided that the state health society of the state concerned would settle the damages through changes in the rules. That would ensure quick delivery of the monetary assistance to beneficiaries concerned.”

Elaborating the payoff, Jaiswal said: “Earlier, monetary assistance used to be provided under the joint supervision of the in-charge of the primary health centre, first referral unit, civil surgeon and the insurance company concerned. Now, it would be provided under the supervision of the in-charge of the primary health centre or first referral unit, civil surgeon and the State Health Society, Bihar. Earlier, the beneficiary used to avail the monetary assistance late because insurance company officials used to take a lot of time to verify the beneficiary. Now, the process will not take much time because no insurance company would be involved. We have decided that the beneficiaries must receive the financial benefits within a month. In the past three years, 46 people have received assistance under the scheme.”

Recently, the health department decided to launch many new initiatives for implementation of family planning programme, including 11 mobile sterilisation vans in 11 districts against only one for Patna district till now. The vans carry out the sterilisation process with the help of intrauterine contraceptive device (a type of device which is inserted into the womb to prevent pregnancy for 5 to 10 years).

The department has also launched an initiative under which Asha workers are providing condoms to rural people at their doorstep.

“People are still conservative in rural Bihar. We also provide condoms at the primary health centre, but not many people turn up to take. Under the new system, Asha workers provide condoms at the doorstep. It is the Centre’s initiative, while the state government is the implementing agency,” said Jaiswal.

The health department has decided to organise programmes to observe the Population Stabilisation Fortnight from July 11.

“Health camps will be organised in every district to spread awareness on family planning measures. People can also get condoms and oral contraceptive pills at the camp,” added the official.