One lecture every day in schools on adolescent health problems; teachers,parents to be educated The Health Department has decided to infuse new life in its project on adolescent health problems after tweaking its name. After the Government of India gave Punjab the nod to remove the s-word from the name of Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health (Arsh) clinics,the Health Department has decided to refocus the project on training teachers and students. The project name has been changed to Adolescent-Friendly Health Clinics (AFHC). Dr K S Dhillon,Assistant Director,Health Education,said,We have decided to hold one period in government schools on adolescent health problems. For this,we will coordinate with the school education department. Teachers will also hold discussions on teenage pregnancies and HIV In the last two years since the project started,we have not been able to train teachers. We plan to educate 200 teachers,of which 30 have already been trained, he said. He said 22 per cent of the population in Punjab was of adolescents. The state government has AFHC clinics in hospitals at district and sub-division level,besides at community and primary health centres. The sub-centres too have counselling centres for teens,where auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) have been posted at the centres. Dr Dhillon said five medical officers from each district,christened as master trainers,would impart training to teachers,while the ANMs would educate the parents. Three staff members,including a doctor,a paramedic and a lady health visitor (LHV),will sit at the clinics. Sources said earlier the project could not get the desired acceptance due to the social stigma attached to its nomenclature. Besides,at some places Arsh centres were set up near the AIDS clinics. No parent wanted to be seen taking his or her child to a clinic,which had sex on its nameplate. After getting this feedback from the ground workers,the department took up the matter with the Union health ministry,which allowed us to change the name, sources said. Though the clinics have started getting acceptance from the people,it will increase with the name change. The department also plans to start social marketing of sanitary napkins in schools. Some of the big firms have agreed to provide sanitary napkins on non-profit basis. Depots will be set up at the block level,from where teachers would buy the napkins and stock them in schools. Girls can also buy these directly from the depot, said Dr Dhillon. Later,the depots would also store de-worming and iron folic acid tablets,as many cases of anaemia in adolescents have been reported,especially in rural areas.
