PHNOM PENH, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Monday announced a multimillion-U.S.-dollars scheme to support destitute pregnant women, starting from mid-next year.
Speaking at the 11th National Veteran's Day, he said a poor mother will receive 40 U.S. dollars during a prenatal care, 50 dollars during a birth delivery and 100 dollars during a postnatal care.
"The scheme will cost 4.95 million dollars in the first year, 7.75 million dollars in the second year, and up to 10 million dollars in the third year," Hun Sen said. "This subsidy will start to be implemented from mid-2019."
The poverty-stricken families are identified by cards that local authorities issued to them, the prime minister said, adding that it was estimated that the kingdom had some 55,000 poor pregnant women a year.
"This reflects our high attention to the pregnant women, aiming at reducing the mortality rate of mothers and children," Hun Sen said. "This is a new policy on social sector that is carried out by the Cambodian People's Party-led government."
Late last year, the prime minister also announced to provide bonuses to garment factory workers, civil servants, and armed forces when they delivered their babies, starting from January, 2018.
For garment factory workers, he said mothers giving birth to one child will receive 100 dollars, while mothers of twins will receive 200 dollars and triplet mothers will get 300 dollars.
And for civil servants and armed forces, they will receive 200 dollars for giving birth to a child, 400 dollars for twins, and 600 dollars for triplets.
