Goal to make State anaemia-free, says Minister at health camp

CHENNAI: Health Minister Ma Subramanian inaugurated the special health and awareness camps for adolescents across the State on Tuesday at Chennai. The event was held at Manthope Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Saidapet.

After the inaugural, the minister said that every district will conduct one camp per month in nearby schools/colleges organized by primary health centres (PHCs).

The camps will offer various tests, including health counselling, awareness programmes and screen for anaemia, facilitated with hi-tech medical equipment.

“This is a first-of-its-kind scheme in India; 25,000 special camps will be conducted for adolescents across the State,” said the minister. “In Tamil Nadu, 52.9% of adolescent girls and 24.6% of adolescent boys are anaemic. The goal is to achieve an anaemic-free TN. More than 20 types of special treatments will be given to adolescents through these camps. Over 1.2 crore adolescents will be benefited.”

He recalled the anxiety among officials over the distribution of sanitary napkins in government schools in 2006. “I was the Mayor then. I had shared the idea of giving sanitary napkins to the government school students but some officials expressed their fear that it’d bring bad name to the government. But then deputy CM Stalin backed me and the scheme was implemented successfully,” noted the minister. “Later, former CM J Jayalalithaa implemented the scheme across the State, and shortly thereafter, the Union government followed suit. Likewise, this scheme will also be successful and implemented across the country.”

Chennai Mayor R Priya, Health Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi and GCC Commissioner J Radhakrishnan participated in the event.