Two Guinness records strength movement towards holistic healthcare of women
S Singh
The 62nd AICOG is about women’s health nation’s wealth. To drive this message in a unique and forceful manner, two Guinness World Records were set at AICOG 2019 in Bengaluru. First record is about sanitary pads. Main role in second record is for calcium tablets. A sanitary napkin is about women’s health and hygiene, calcium is synonym with women’s wellbeing.
AICOG 2019 (All India Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists) created an image of uterus using 10,105 sanitary pads at Place Ground Bengaluru. In terms of length it is over 1 km (1,078 meters) and as AICOG 2019 organising committee chairperson Dr Hema Divakar said, this distance of 1 km is the beginning for the doctors to cover 1000s of kms to provide healthcare to the women of India.
A typical woman uses between 10,000 to 15,000 sanitary pads or tampons over the decades that she has her period. This is as essential as her clothing. After the event, these 10,105 pads will be donated to four girls’ schools.
“This is a start to a great movement of Parivarthan pan Karnataka and will be a stepping stone to initiate the much-needed change in mindset of our society. Decisions around reproductive health and making healthy choices and particularly right information and the right message through #parivarthan #whodecides is expected to go beyond Bengaluru and Karnataka and reach millions of adolescents through digital media,” Dr Hema said.
Another record made at the AICOG venue was India map. ‘Largest blister pack mosaic’ was made using 23,121 calcium drug strips covering an area of 90 square meter.
AICOG organizing committee secretary Dr Sheela Mane spoke on the importance of calcium tablets for women while explaining the record attempt. “A woman normally, and due to pressure of domestic work, does not consume wholesome food and ignore to take calcium supplements. This record creation is an effort to spread the need of calcium for women’s health”. Bollywood has also contributed to desensitize India about sanitary napkins with the movie ‘Padman’. The officials of Guinness World Records handed over two certificates confirming the records to Dr Hema Divakar and Dr Nanditha Palshetkar, new president of FOGSI (Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India.
