Health Minister Ma Subramanian announced on Sunday that Chief Minister MK Stalin is scheduled to inaugurate the country's first 'Women's Wellness on Wheels' vehicle within the upcoming ten days. The Minister stated that Tamil Nadu intends to roll out 38 such vehicles across its 38 districts under this scheme, aimed at protecting women from cancer.
Subramanian was addressing journalists on the fringes of an event organised by the Social Welfare Department to distribute savings certificates and maturity funds to young girls.
“These fully-equipped vehicles, a first of their kind in India, will facilitate comprehensive check-ups for women to screen them for cancer risks such as cervical cancer and breast cancer,” the Health Minister explained.
During the event, Subramanian handed over the Social Welfare Department’s maturity funds to 118 girls. These beneficiaries were selected from the South Chennai district and the second zone of the Puducherry district.
“They will be able to access ₹50,000 once they reach 18 years of age,” he noted. He also mentioned that 259 girl children were presented with savings certificates on behalf of the Social Welfare Department.
The Minister explained that the “Chief Minister's Girl Child Protection Scheme was formulated with the objectives of preventing female infanticide and child marriages, and promoting the education of the girl child.”
He added that to ensure the scheme's benefits reach a far wider public, the annual income eligibility for beneficiaries has been increased from ₹72,000 to ₹1,20,000 over the past four years.
Furthermore, he announced that Tamil Nadu will provide free vaccinations to girls against the HPV virus to prevent cervical cancer. “Girls aged 14 and under will be vaccinated at a cost of ₹36 crore. This free vaccination scheme will be implemented in Tamil Nadu through private hospitals,” he confirmed.
The event also included participants taking a pledge highlighting the harms faced by girls who marry at a young age.
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