Napkin vending machines in government schools

KOCHI: The girls in all government schools in the state can heave a sigh of relief. As part of the School Sanitation Programme, sanitary napkin vending machines will be installed in all government schools from the next academic year. “Sanitary napkin vending machines will be installed in all high schools initially and later in upper primary schools where the strength of the girls is high,” said A Shajahan, director, Directorate of Public Instruction.This will be useful especially for students  in remote areas where facilities to buy napkins are rare. A majority of students in government schools are from economically and socially backward families and many of them resort to unhygienic sanitation methods. In some schools, girls are not even aware of menstrual hygiene which leads to various health problems, according to social workers.“Girls aged between 10 and 19 fall under adolescents category and plans are afoot to include nine-year-olds into it. We conduct awareness classes on menstrual hygiene and have put a proposal for installing sanitary napkin vending machines in backward districts initially,” said K V Beena, Ernakulam district coordinator, National Rural Health Mission.Though the Delhi Government is providing sanitary napkins free of cost in all government and aided schools, here the napkins would be charged Re 1.Girl-friendly toilets are also a must. When asked about the implementing agencyShajahan said: “As the rates quoted by HLL Life Care Ltd are high we will make them using a new technology, modelled on the vending machines installed in a few schools.”MPs and MLAs have also promoted schemes to improve sanitation facilities in schools. P Rajeev MP’s Sustainable Comprehensive Hygiene Initiative (Suchi@school) under MPLAD is being implemented in  all government and aided schools in Ernakulam.“Toilets are being built during the first phase. Sanitary napkin vending machines will be set up in th e next phase,” Rajeev said.V D Satheesan MLA has also contributed funds for developing school infrastructure in his constituency, Paravur.  “Sanitary napkin vending machines will be installed in all girl-friendly toilets,” Satheesan said.