Jun 18, 2012 Sukhbir Siwach
CHANDIGARH: With a view to focus of health care needs of the adolescents, Haryana has made 70 Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics (AFHCs) functional in all district hospitals and all Community Health Centres (CHCs) in the State. Haryana's Health Minister, Rao Narender Singh said that these AFHCs have been started on the basis of "fixed day, fixed hour". These 'Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics' are running on every Saturday from 11am to 1 pm. Registration fee is not charged from the patients coming to attend AFHCs. The card of the clinic is stamped as 'Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics'. More than 21,500 adolescents have so far attended these clinic. He said that as 10 to 18 years age group is also being covered under 'Indira Bal Swasthya Yojna', all the referrals are made to these clinics. As many as 172 doctors have been trained in adolescent friendly health services. To mobilize and create awareness in issues concerning adolescent health, 187 Block Extension Educators or Lady Health Visitors and Counselors were trained in adolescent health. Trained doctors have been given special registers to maintain privacy of the adolescent. The Minister said that the dolescents between the age of 10 and 19 years constitute about 22% of our population. Health needs of adolescents have so far been neglected as there is relatively less morbidity and mortality in this age group. However, this is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood characterized by rapid physical, biological and psychological changes resulting in psycho-social, behavioral and sexual maturation in an individual. It is also the second growth spurt of life leading to additional nutritional requirement. Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health Programme (ARSH) was implemented in Haryana in 2008 in nine districts with the objective of providing adolescent friendly health services through the existing public sector health facilities. To create demand and generate awareness in health seeking behavior, peer educators were identified in the villages and trained in adolescent health issues. Doctors and health workers were trained to provide curative and counseling services in adolescent friendly environment. This programme has been extended to all the 21 districts in 2011-12. The State has been running Peer Educator programme for last three years quite successfully. It is a known fact that adolescents first approach their peers for advice on sexual or reproductive issues. The peer educators are identified in each village of Haryana in the age group of 15 to 19 years. Boys and girls who are natural leaders and who are socially active are chosen for this work. As many as 134,04 peer educators have been identified and 7834 peer educators have so far been trained. These peer educators have conducted 12726 meetings with adolescents in villages.As many as 15000 booklets in the form of frequently asked questions were distributed to peer educators. The Health Department also organises adolescent health melas for rapport-building and community mobilization. Such melas help in health check-ups by doctors, counseling services by counselors of Haryana AIDS Control Society and organizing cultural programmes including debates, declamations on adolescents and youth related issues like mental health, sexual abuse, substance abuse, HIV or AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases or Reproductive Tract Infections. A total of 16 such youth festivals have been organized in the year 2011-2012. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Clinics-for-adolescents-gets-attention-in-Haryana/articleshow/14247261.cms -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/MhaNewsViewsIndia?hl=en ------------- Affiliated Groups : MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY INDIA [email protected] Discussions on mental health law / policy / plan monitoring / human rights etc [email protected] India-specific news and views related to mental health [email protected] Information and support to carers of people with mental health issues [email protected] Mutual support and sharing of experiential knowledge, skills and social learning amongst peers
