Bihar Govt Distributes Condoms Among Migrants Leaving Quarantine Centres

Thousands of migrant labourers who are leaving quarantine centres and those who are under home quarantine across Bihar are getting condoms from State Health Society amid the coronavirus lockdown.

"Migrant labourers are going to their homes after completing the 14-day institutional quarantine. Since there are chances of unwanted pregnancies, so we properly counsel them (migrant labourers) and give them tools (such as condoms) to avoid unwanted pregnancy," a senior Health department official told news agency PTI.

The official, who is entrusted with Family Planning in State Health Society, also said "it is purely a family planning measure and has nothing to do with COVID-19. As a health professional, it is our responsibility to control the population. We have been taking the support of our health partner Care India to implement the initiative."

The official said unwanted pregnancies have witnessed a surge the world over during the lockdown and it was against this backdrop that the initiative was launched.

The initiative will continue till the quarantine centres are functioning, he added.

Of the 28 to 29 lakh migrants who have returned to the state, 8.77 lakh people have been discharged as they have completed their 14-day quarantine period. Besides, 5.30 lakh migrants, till date, are living at block and district level quarantine centres across the state.

The health coordinators have been distributing two packets of condoms at quarantine centres, ASHA workers have been distributing them during door-to-door screening of people in home quarantine.

An official of the NGO Care India, said that "we are providing technical support to the Health department in this initiative."