Stillborn or Death of a Newborn: Special Maternity Leave for Female Central Government Employees
NEW DELHI, Sept 2: The central government has decided to grant special 60 days leave to its women employees in case of any death of a child at the time of delivery or within 28 days of the child’s birth in view of the trauma the woman faced in such a situation.
An order issued by the union Department of Personnel and Training on Friday said, “All women central government employees will be entitled for 60 days special maternity leave in case of death of a child at or shortly after birth.” The decision has been taken keeping in view the potential emotional trauma caused due to stillbirth or death of a child soon after birth, which has a far-reaching impact on the mother’s life, it said.
The DoPT said it has been receiving several references/queries requesting for clarification pertaining to grant of leave/maternity leave in case of death of a child soon after birth/stillbirth. “The matter has been considered in consultation with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Keeping in view the potential emotional trauma caused due to stillbirth or death of a child soon after birth, which has a far-reaching impact on the mother’s life, it has now been decided to grant a special maternity leave of 60 days to a female central government servant in case of death of a child soon after birth/stillbirth…,” it said in the order.
In case a maternity leave has already been availed by a woman central government employee and her leave continues till the date of expiry of child soon after birth/stillbirth, the maternity leave already availed till death of the child may be converted into any other kind of leave available in her leave account without insisting for a medical certificate and a special maternity leave of 60 days may be granted from the date of expiry of child soon after birth/stillbirth, the DoPT said.
In case the maternity leave has not been availed by a woman central government employee, 60 days of special maternity leave may be granted from the date of expiry of child soon after birth/ stillbirth, it said.
The benefit of special maternity leave shall be admissible only to a woman central government employee with less than two surviving children and for child delivery only in an authorised hospital, it said. The authorised hospital is defined as government hospital or private hospital empanelled under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS). In case of emergency delivery in non-empanelled private hospital, production of emergency certificate is mandatory, the DoPT order said.
(Manas Dasgupta)
