TN May Offer Birth Incentives as Fertility Rate Drops Below 1.4, Says Minister

Addressing the mid-year workshop of the Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society of South India in Chennai on Sunday, Tamil Nadu Health Minister K G Arunraj indicated that the state government could consider incentivising couples to have more children to address declining fertility rates and an ageing population.

Arunraj highlighted that Tamil Nadu's Total Fertility Rate has fallen below 1.4, well below the replacement level of 2.1. With nearly 16 per cent of the state's population currently aged above 60, he described the ongoing demographic shift as a major public health challenge for the state.

The minister suggested that Tamil Nadu could explore policies similar to those in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, where government schemes reportedly offer incentives to couples for having a third child. He noted that future state measures could potentially adopt similar incentive structures in light of long-term demographic implications.

In addition to demographic concerns, Arunraj addressed trends in hospital births across the state. Although 99 per cent of all childbirths in Tamil Nadu take place in hospitals, the share of deliveries in government facilities has steadily declined from 65.8 per cent in 2017-18 to 51 per cent currently. He attributed this drop to private medical colleges offering free maternity care and the extension of the Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Benefit Scheme to private hospitals.

To ease financial burdens on poor and middle-class families seeking private healthcare, the government recently launched the 'Thaai Maaman Thangam' scheme. Arunraj added that the health department will conduct a detailed study to ascertain why deliveries at government hospitals have dropped despite the availability of quality care at Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care centres.

Addressing patient registration issues, Arunraj clarified that pregnant women do not need an Aadhaar card to register at outpatient counters, and no government hospital can deny treatment due to its absence. He cited an existing scheme allowing patients to generate outpatient receipts from home via smartphone. He also announced that the state's medical counselling schedule and merit list will be published on August 10.