Jharkhand Government will now have to procure sanitary pads on their own for Government of India’s (GOI) ongoing Menstrual Health and Hygiene programme for
adolescents in five districts of the State — Ranchi, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Dhanbad and Giridih.
To implement this instruction passed by Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare, Departments of Health, Human Resources Development and Social Welfare, Women and Child Development are in a huddle on regular basis so that Self Help Groups (SHGs) or Non -Governmental Organisations (NGO) can be roped in for the supply from next year onwards.
“We have sufficient sanitary pads for distribution in the mentioned districts by the end of this year. To tackle the pad crunch from next year, such State level meetings are being held,” Dr Jaya Prasad, deputy director of health services, Jharkhand cum nodal officer for adolescent health in the State said on Sunday.
The female-centric programme began in the State around a year back covering only the above mentioned districts, wherein GOI was providing the funds as well as the procurement. “Since the procurement will be done by the State Government, we are drafting proposal for the upcoming funds required by our State. It is to be presented in the Budget session of Parliament. Once we receive the money, interested bidders for the supply will be invited through tenders,” Dr Prasad added.
According to Dr Prasad, GOI was supplying a six pad pack worth one rupee each to the State Government. Within the State, Sahiyas are assigned to manage the programme.
Explaining the role of Sahiyas in details, Dr Prasad said, “The programme covers spreading information on health issues like anaemia and menstruation among adolescent girls with the help of Sahiyas in around 52 blocks of the five districts. Even the pads are provided to the girls by these Sahiyaas in the schools and anganwadis.”
Notably, as many as 17 to 18 States of India are already procuring sanitary pads on their own. For Jharkhand this would be for the first time that they are given this similar responsibility.
“The convergence programme is coordinated through State health, State HRD and State social welfare departments together since the pads are distributed in anganwadis and schools. It may be expanded to more two or three districts,” said adolescent reproductive and sexual health State coordinator Rafat Farzana.
However, the slow response of target audience towards this awareness is a cause of worry for these officials and their stakeholders.
On November 21, last year United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and State Government had joined hands to promote the usage of sanitary pads among adolescent girls in the State through a project titled ‘Breaking the taboo’.
“Our project is restricted to districts of Gumla and East Singhbhum.
But, as per my information there is lack of awareness among girls across the State on menstrual cycle. It is due to some social myths. More than 50 per cent rural girls use cloth instead of sanitary pad because of this unawareness,” UNICEF Jharkhand chief Job Zachariah said.
According to official sources, Central Government was supplying pads to all the States through a company named Hindustan latex.
“GOI took the decision of managing pad supply at the state level as some defects were found in the pad quality produced by this company,” maintained sources.