Condoms, contraceptives distributed among migrants leaving quarantine units in Bihar

PATNA: Thousands of men and women leaving quarantine centres across Bihar are getting condoms and contraceptive pills from the State Health Society amid the coronavirus lockdown. The state has the highest fertility rate in India at 3.4 children per woman, according to the last data published by the National Family Health Survey in 2016.
The state has observed sharp rise in institutional deliveries in the nine months after March and November when thousands of migrant workers return home from the cities to spend time with family during festivals.

"We are distributing condoms and contraceptives as we have noticed that nine months after March and November when maximum migrants return for Holi, Diwali and Chhath, there is a big increase in institutional deliveries, but which go down in the preceding and following months," State Health Society executive director Manoj Kumar said.

The State Health Society is the nodal agency for distributing condoms and contraceptives. It is responsible for directly managing funds received from Health Ministry. Mr Kumar said the decision to distribute condoms and contraceptives was taken at the "highest level".

"The birth rate in Bihar is highest in the country," Mr Kumar added.

Lakhs of migrant workers have returned to Bihar and other states from cities like Delhi and Mumbai after running low on money and food as the centre had to extend the lockdown five times, though with gradual easing of restrictions.