CUTS has been selected as the Mother NGO (MNGO) for Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, under the ‘Reproductive and Child Health (RCH)’ scheme of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India (GoI). CUTS CHD, Chittorgarh is working as the MNGO in the district.
The MoHFW has been supporting NGO involvement in health and family welfare activities, including the RCH society, since the early 1980s.. In the ninth Five-Year Plan (1997-2002), Department of Health and Family Welfare (DoHFW) introduced the Mother NGO scheme, under the Reproductive and Child Health Programme. Under this scheme, DoHFW is identifying and sanctioning grants to the selected NGOs, called Mother NGOs, in allotted districts. These MNGOs, in turn, issue grants to smaller NGOs, called Field NGOs (FNGOs), in the allocated district/s. The grants are being used for promoting the goals/objectives as outlined in the RCH Programme of GoI.
The objectives of the Project broadly include:
- Utilisation and delivery of heath services for reduction in maternal mortality
- Improvement in maternal health care
- Addressing general health care issues
- Childcare
- Family welfare, through multi-stakeholder involvement and action.
During the preparatory phase, CUTS CHD identified 3 FNGOs (HELP, VIKASH and Arunodaya) out of 15 NGOs who applied for the scheme, in response to an advertisement issued in leading newspapers. The DoHFW trained CHD staff members responsible for the implementation of the scheme. The trained CHD staff members then organised a four-day training and orientation programme for representatives of selected FNGOs, on October 9-13, 2006.
The survey was carried out by the three field NGOs, subsequent to the training. After the survey, data were analysed by CUTS and the gaps in mother and child health facilities in the surveyed areas were identified. Based on the findings in their areas, each FNGO prepared a proposal. CUTS then prepared the final proposal and submitted it to the State Reproductive and Child Health (SRCH), Jaipur, on July 05, 2007, for its approval. Once the SRCH approves the final proposal, the Memorandum of Understanding would be signed between CUTS and Chief Medical Health Officer (CMHO), Chittorgarh. Once the project amount is approved, project activities would be started.