Bathinda, February 5
Subsidised sanitary napkins, being provided to the adolescent girls in rural areas of district, will now also be available with the government schoolteachers who will be appointed as the nodal officers under the ongoing Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (MHS).
Being run in seven districts of the state, including Bathinda, Moga, Ferozepur, Muktsar and Faridkot, since April 2012, the scheme aims at creating awareness on personal hygiene among girls in the age-group of 10 to 19 years.
District Family Welfare Officer Dr Ravanjit Kaur said the aim was to ensure that adolescent girls living in the rural areas have an access to clean sanitary napkins and were constantly in touch with the ASHA workers who could counsel them and give a tip or two on the importance of being clean.
“Unhygienic conditions may result in infections of the reproductive tract that can later affect the sexual life and create problems in bearing children. Since, families from the rural areas do not have enough means of livelihood, the scheme has been launched to benefit the adolescent girls living in the rural areas,” she said.
The Health Department has conducted meetings with the Education Department officials wherein the impetus is to appoint nodal teachers in each government school in villages who would distribute napkins to the students.
However, stigma related to reproductive health dissuades girls from approaching ASHA workers to buy a pack of napkins for a mere Rs 6 that has six napkins in it. “Reproductive health of women remains a taboo. Social stigma attached to it does not allow many women to come forward seeking napkins. For this, the ASHA worker visits households, distributes napkins and collects the money. An ASHA worker meets the assigned adolescent at least twice a month,” said Dr Ravanjit.
While the government school teachers have been sensitised on distribution of napkin, there is a hesitation amongst teachers in taking up the project. While all girls’ schoolteachers have readily agreed for the distribution, those teaching in co-educational schools are sceptical about the scheme.
Meanwhile, since its inception in April 2012, more than 3.35 lakh sanitary napkins have been sold in the district.
There are a total of 52,189 adolescent girls in the district in all six blocks and 850 ASHA workers are providing napkins to them. Till December 2013, the district had received a supply of 3,45,600 sanitary napkins. The maximum napkins have been sold in Bhagta block (55,680) followed by Nathana at 55,540.
Napkins are sold to the school girls at Rs 6 per pack of which Re 1 is the incentive for the ASHA worker while Rs 5 is sent to the Centre.
The ASHA worker also gets a complimentary pack of same sanitary napkin every month.
Subsidised sanitary napkins, being provided to the adolescent girls in rural areas of district, will now also be available with the government schoolteachers who will be appointed as the nodal officers under the ongoing Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (MHS).
Being run in seven districts of the state, including Bathinda, Moga, Ferozepur, Muktsar and Faridkot, since April 2012, the scheme aims at creating awareness on personal hygiene among girls in the age-group of 10 to 19 years.
District Family Welfare Officer Dr Ravanjit Kaur said the aim was to ensure that adolescent girls living in the rural areas have an access to clean sanitary napkins and were constantly in touch with the ASHA workers who could counsel them and give a tip or two on the importance of being clean.
“Unhygienic conditions may result in infections of the reproductive tract that can later affect the sexual life and create problems in bearing children. Since, families from the rural areas do not have enough means of livelihood, the scheme has been launched to benefit the adolescent girls living in the rural areas,” she said.
The Health Department has conducted meetings with the Education Department officials wherein the impetus is to appoint nodal teachers in each government school in villages who would distribute napkins to the students.
However, stigma related to reproductive health dissuades girls from approaching ASHA workers to buy a pack of napkins for a mere Rs 6 that has six napkins in it. “Reproductive health of women remains a taboo. Social stigma attached to it does not allow many women to come forward seeking napkins. For this, the ASHA worker visits households, distributes napkins and collects the money. An ASHA worker meets the assigned adolescent at least twice a month,” said Dr Ravanjit.
While the government school teachers have been sensitised on distribution of napkin, there is a hesitation amongst teachers in taking up the project. While all girls’ schoolteachers have readily agreed for the distribution, those teaching in co-educational schools are sceptical about the scheme.
Meanwhile, since its inception in April 2012, more than 3.35 lakh sanitary napkins have been sold in the district.
There are a total of 52,189 adolescent girls in the district in all six blocks and 850 ASHA workers are providing napkins to them. Till December 2013, the district had received a supply of 3,45,600 sanitary napkins. The maximum napkins have been sold in Bhagta block (55,680) followed by Nathana at 55,540.
Napkins are sold to the school girls at Rs 6 per pack of which Re 1 is the incentive for the ASHA worker while Rs 5 is sent to the Centre.
The ASHA worker also gets a complimentary pack of same sanitary napkin every month.
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