Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday launched a scheme for providing sanitary napkins free to adolescents.
She distributed the napkins to seven beneficiaries at the Secretariat.
Tamil Nadu is the only State to implement the scheme in rural areas. Nearly 40 lakh adolescents in the age group of 10 years to 19 years; seven lakh young mothers; 700 women prisoners and 500 women patients of hospitals of mental health will be covered, according to an official release.
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The scheme envisages provision of 18 bags a year to every adolescent; three bags every two months. Each bag will have six napkins.
The bags will be given to adolescent students of government schools through their teachers and to other adolescents through anganwadi staff of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme and nurses in villages.
Seven bags of six napkins will be given to mothers at government hospitals, primary health centres and village sub-centres, the release stated, adding that women prisoners will get three bags of six napkins once in two months. Health diaries will be given to all women.
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An iron and folic acid tablet will be given to women every week and de-worming tablet once in six months, the release added.