Mishra holds meetings to discuss purchase, distribution of sanitary pads to menstruating individuals

Leh: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd) held a meeting with officials from the Health and Medical Education Department UT Ladakh, including Commissioner/Secretary, Dr Vasanthakumar N, IAS; Director, Health Services, Dr Tashi Thinles and State Programme Officer, Stanzin Gelex, at the Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat on Monday.
Referring to the central government’s policy aimed at ensuring accessible and affordable sanitary pads for all menstruating individuals, often with a focus on providing them freely in schools, addressing menstrual hygiene awareness and promoting proper disposal methods, the LG highlighted the need to distribute sanitary pads among adolescent school girls in UT Ladakh and purchase biodegradable sanitary pads from self-help groups (SHGs) to empower them.
He discussed three aspects- procurement of sanitary pads, the distribution of sanitary pads among eligible candidates and the disposal of used sanitary pads.
In that Self-Help Groups of Ladakh should be prioritised after due quality check of the sanitary pads produced by them. The LG stated that the quality control should be carried out by the Health Department of Ladakh.
Dr Vasanthakumar N, IAS, informed the LG about the Department’s plan to procure around 18 lakh sanitary pads on Government e-Market (GeM) and also from the SHGs.
He also apprised the LG of meetings to discuss the need to ensure good-quality sanitary pads and dispose of used sanitary pads using incinerators and other methods.
The LG asked Dr Vasanthakumar to complete the formalities at the earliest and ensure sanitary pads are distributed proportionally among adolescent girls at their home doorsteps.
He pointed out that the home delivery of sanitary pads may not be as transparent as that at schools and colleges under the lady teachers’ guidance and this aspect needs urgent examination for implementation.