RAMECHHAP: Call it a baby-boom project, or an incentive for pregnant women, the Primary Health Center in Manthali in the district has initiated a nobel enterprise which when implemented would encouarage every married women to come to a health centre for delivering child.

With the aim of reaching out quality healthcare services to every pregnant woman, the healthcare centre in the district has started offering Rs 1,000 to pregnant women effective from July 16.

The center has been distributing ‘congratulation cards’ to the pregnant women of Manthali VDC. The move came as the pregnant women abstained from delivering baby in the health facilities. With the incentives, the women are encouraged to come for regular health check-up. Health worker of the center Chinimaya Bal said the health workers of primary health center and health volunteers of the village have now been distributing the cards.

The ‘congratulations card’, according to Chinimaya, is printed with information urging pregnant women to check their pregnancy at least four times and deliver babies in the healthcare institutions.

One the overleaf of the card, useful information have been provided for all the would-be moms.

The Centre has similarly offered ambulance services to ferry women with labour pain and for those living in absolute poverty and have no means to afford the transportation cost to come to healthcare facilities. Where the government had tried in vain to attract women to deliver child at the healtcare centre safely, the healthcare centers have been able to lure them with attractive packages, Chinimaya added.

Also, the Manthali primary center has been providing surplus clothes for the newborns, Dipak Bhatta, health management committee member of the center, said. He said that the number of pregnant women visiting the center has increased manifold.