Janani Suraksha Yojana: How Income and Health Workers Really Boost Institutional Births

The Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), launched by the Indian government in 2005, aims to push people towards institutional deliveries. While the scheme's benefits are the same across the country, factors like income, interactions with health workers, and local conditions make a big difference. Using data from the National Family Health Survey, researchers found that talking to health workers during pregnancy and higher income boost institutional deliveries, regardless of location.Surprisingly, JSY doesn't play a big role here. Instead, it leads more people to choose public hospitals over private ones. People in urban areas prefer private hospitals if the head of the household is literate, while those in rural areas opt for private hospitals if they have health insurance or higher incomes. The findings highlight the need to improve government healthcare and keep health workers actively involved in promoting institutional deliveries.