Supporting states in implementing menstrual hygiene policy for school-going girls: Centre
New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) The Menstrual Hygiene Policy for School-going girls is implemented through coordinated action by states/ Union Territories (UTs) to promote access to safe and affordable menstrual hygiene measures in schools through their respective and concerned departments, the Centre told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel, in a written reply, said that Union government implements the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (MHS) for promotion of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls.
The scheme focuses on awareness generation, access to quality and affordable sanitary napkins, safe and environment-friendly disposal, and counselling on safe menstrual practices, she added.
Patel said that Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management (MHM) is a multidimensional and inter-ministerial issue requiring coordinated action by multiple stakeholder Ministries/Departments and states/UTs in accordance with their respective statutory mandates.
She added that under the NHM, states/UTs are supported for Menstrual Hygiene Schemes based on their proposals in their Annual Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) as per the regulatory norms.
The Ministry undertakes sustained Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities, awareness generation and sensitisation programmes through health facilities, community platforms, frontline health workers, digital dissemination mechanisms and adolescent-focused programme platforms, she said.
Patel added that monitoring under the National Health Mission (NHM) is carried out through a robust, multi-layered framework that includes review of State-wise key deliverables against approved targets during National Program Coordination Committee meetings with all states/UTs.
In addition, annual Common Review Missions (CRMs) provide independent, on-ground assessments of programme implementation, health system strengthening, and progress on key indicators, she said.
In another reply, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav told the Rajya Sabha that the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP) is being implemented in all 36 states/UTs covering 751 districts (including 44 linked districts) through 1,856 haemodialysis centres equipped with 13,535 haemodialysis machines as on June 30.
He said the Ministry undertakes periodic monitoring of the programme through the CRM and visits by senior officers.
During such reviews, non-operational dialysis centres, if any, are brought to the notice of the concerned state/UT for taking corrective action, he added.
The responsibility for timely operationalisation of dialysis centres, deployment of adequately trained manpower, including dialysis technicians, rests with the respective state/UT governments and the implementing partner, wherever engaged, Jadhav said.
–IANS
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