Chennai Airport to Get 36 Sanitary Napkin Vending Machines by Sept End
The development follows concerns over the temporary discontinuation of the facility and a hard-hitting social media post by television actor Latha Rao about her harrowing experience
CHENNAI: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has decided to install 36 new sanitary napkin vending machines at all women's restrooms in the Chennai International Airport by end of September, following concerns over the temporary discontinuation of the facility and a hard-hitting social media post by television actor Latha Rao about her harrowing experience.
Recently, Ms Rao, who was travelling from Chennai to Hyderabad, shared on Instagram her distressing experience after she unexpectedly got her period while waiting at the airport. Ms Rao said she usually carries sanitary napkins in her handbag while travelling but had inadvertently forgotten to pack one on this occasion. When she realised that she needed one, she enquired with women employees at the airport whether sanitary napkins could be purchased within the terminal. She was informed that the sanitary napkin vending machines that had earlier been available in the women's restrooms were no longer operational.
With no immediate access to a sanitary napkin, Ms Rao said she rushed from Gate 1 to a pharmacy near Gate 7. However, the pharmacy employee was not at the counter then. After waiting anxiously for a few minutes, she purchased a sanitary napkin when the employee returned and rushed back to her boarding gate. By then, she said, boarding had already begun, leaving her in considerable mental distress.
Ms Rao also used the incident to highlight the need to speak openly about menstruation and menstrual hygiene, saying there was nothing embarrassing about discussing periods as they are a normal biological process experienced by women.
She urged women passengers to treat sanitary napkins as an essential travel item and check whether they had packed them before leaving home, just as they check whether they have switched off the gas stove or carried their house keys.
Her post also raised questions about the availability of emergency menstrual hygiene products at Chennai airport.
Responding to the issue, Chennai airport authorities said sanitary napkin vending machines had indeed been functioning in the women's restrooms earlier. However, the facility was temporarily discontinued following complaints that the machines were being misused.
The authorities said an interim arrangement had been made to ensure that women passengers could still obtain sanitary napkins during emergencies.
According to airport officials, women passengers can contact the number displayed in the restrooms and an airport woman employee will bring a sanitary napkin to them within two minutes. Officials said this was only a temporary arrangement until the vending machines were restored.
As part of the new arrangement, 36 sanitary napkin vending machines will be installed across the women's restrooms at Chennai airport by September end.
“From October 1, women passengers at Chennai airport will not face difficulties in accessing sanitary napkins,” Chennai airport public relations officials said on behalf of the Airports Authority of India.
The authorities also indicated that the earlier vending-machine facility had not been permanently scrapped. It was temporarily suspended following complaints of misuse, said airport authorities.
