In a significant move for helping the daughters/sisters, working ladies, District administration Dimapur under the initiative of Deputy Commissioner Dimapur, Anoop Kinchi IAS, in collaboration with an NGO by the name of Community Health Initiative organised the launching ceremony of Menstrual Hygiene Management programme (MHMP) in Government schools and colleges on 24th July 2020 at Dimapur Government College. DC along with Principal DGC, Dr. Moanochet Longchar, officially launched the sanitary napkin machine and incinerator for Dimapur College.
In his inaugural address, Anoop Kinchi announced that through MHMP, sanitary napkin machine and incinerator would be installed in all the Government schools and colleges which would be funded by the Dimapur District administration. "It will go a long way in helping the girl child of our society," Kinchi maintained. While expressing concern about health issue with regard to females, Kinchi said that Menstrual Hygiene Management was a natural biological process and felt that it needs discussion and understanding including the male members of the society for resolving the issues. DC Dimapur while mentioning MHMP as an important component of Bharat Mission, emphasised on the need for creating more awareness and training programmes in which he felt that NGOs have to play an important role. He advised the CHI for working out cost effective economic model so that the program can cover many more institutions.
Dr. Rhondemo Kikon from CHI while talking about the Health Challenges in Nagaland, pointed out isolated geography, poor infrastructure, lack of skilled health care, low percent of hospitals/ health centers, low percent mother and child health care, low vaccine coverage in children as some of the challenges. Kikon also shared that the main focus of the NGO was Primary Health Care Service, Water sanitation and hygiene promotion, Nutrition and Livelihood.
Director, CHI, Loreni Sophia while highlighting on MHMP informed that menstruation taboos/ stigma was still existent in India. She informed that there are 355 million menstruating women in India out of which 23 million women drops out of school annually due to lack of menstrual hygiene and management. She cited lack of sanitary napkins, lack of functional toilets and low awareness on menstruation as the main reasons for early school drop outs.
Loreni also informed that besides Dimapur Government College, the Dimapur District administration in collaboration with CHI will be extending the MHMP program to Lengrijan GHS, Nagarjan GHSS, Nepali Kashiram Sarpure GHS and Deputy Commissioner Dimapur office.
Principal DGC, termed the day as momentous and welcome step for the female students numbering around 800 of DGC. He expressed gratitude to the DC Dimapur for donating the machines generously and opined that it would be an eye opener for the other schools and colleges. Out of the 15 Government colleges in Nagaland, DGC would be the first college with the facility, he informed.
Associate professor, Meripeni Ngully chaired the program while Assistant Professor, DGC, Moamongla Aier proposed the vote of thanks.
(DPRO Dimapur)