Rollout of free sanitary napkins scheme soon

Shuchi Yojane — the scheme to provide free sanitary napkins for adolescent girls — will be rolled out in two weeks’ time, according to a Department of Health and Family Welfare official.

Taking forward the existing scheme for menstrual hygiene under National Rural Health Mission to provide sanitary napkins at Rs 6 in Mysore, Bidar, Gulbarga, Bagalkot, Raichur and Belgaum districts, the State government has announced Suchi Yojane, which will benefit 36 lakh girls and young women.

Rs 25-cr project

“HLL Lifecare Limited will provide the napkins. Each pack will have 10 pads,” the official said adding each women will get one pack per cycle. The State has released Rs 25 crore for the scheme. “Anyone can walk up to ASHA worker (accredited social health activist) or anaganawadis to avail the napkins free of cost,” he explained adding that this was a provision made to women between their adolescent and pregnancy time.
The scheme would also have a nodal officer to keep tabs on distribution. “ The officer will record of number of pads distributed.”

Department of Health and Family Welfare will work on improving nutrition, enabling sexual, reproductive and maternal health and prevent substance abuse among young adults. Also measures will taken for prevention of non-communicable diseases, the official said.