COIMBATORE: Over the past five years, nearly 1.9 lakh pregnant women in Coimbatore district have received financial support through the Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Benefit Scheme (Dr MRMBS), with a total of Rs 86.66 crore disbursed, according to the health department.
In the financial year 2020-21, the scheme benefited 42,808 women, with a fund allocation of Rs 17.91 crore. The following year, 37,175 beneficiaries received Rs 16.42 crore, while 38,908 women in 2022-23 were given Rs 16.39 crore. In 2023-24, Rs 17.95 crore was distributed to 41,837 beneficiaries, and in 2024-25, 29,214 women received Rs 17.97 crore.
The Dr MRMBS is a state government initiative designed to provide financial assistance to pregnant women. The scheme aims to reduce both Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) by ensuring better access to nutritious food and compensating for wage loss during pregnancy.
Each eligible pregnant woman receives Rs 18,000 under the scheme. This amount includes Rs 14,000 in cash benefits and Rs 4,000 worth of nutrition kits. The scheme is implemented alongside the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), which supplements the overall financial assistance under MRMBS.
To benefit from the scheme, pregnant women must register their pregnancy with health staff or through the Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation (PICME) portal before reaching 12 weeks of pregnancy. Previously, the financial assistance was provided in five instalments, but from 2024, it is now disbursed in three instalments.
As per the updated schedule, Rs 6,000 is given in the fourth month, with the remaining amount disbursed after the child’s birth in the fourth and ninth months. Additionally, the nutrition kits are distributed in two instalments, during the third and sixth months of pregnancy.
Health officials have been working diligently to include all pregnant women in the scheme. Village and urban health nurses are actively monitoring the health of expectant mothers and ensuring their registration under the scheme.
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