Pindi gets first premarital counseling clinic

A first premarital counselling clinic was inaugurated in Rawalpindi to help couples better plan and prepare for marriage.

The pilot project with the help of Norway and under the supervision of the District Health Authority has been inaugurated at the Rural Health Centre Khayaban Sir Syed, under which couples will be given family planning counseling before marriage.

Officials said that such programme to upgrade family planning and maternal and child health facilities will be started in seven more rural health centres across the district in the coming days.

Timely family planning counseling will enable new couples to plan according to their means for a quality life for themselves and their children with limited children.

The project aims to make the family planning programme a success by providing parents and children with a quality life, quality education and better employability for a successful life based on better skills.

The clinic was inaugurated by representatives of Norway Funds for Family Planning Services along with Chief Executive District Health Authority Dr Saadat Ali Khan, District Coordinator (IRMNCH) Dr Naveed Akhtar Malik, Family Planning Project Specialist Dr Jameel and Dr Javed.

Speakers said that in view of increasing health, employment and social problems due to the growing population, it was important to provide the best family planning counseling to the couples before marriage so that they can have fewer children and live a prosperous life.

The representatives of the Norwegian Family Planning Project said that by strengthening the family planning programme, not only the heavy expenses on the health sector can be reduced, but also healthy children and their healthy parents can have an opportunity to live a better life in the society.

They said that when couples were provided with the best counseling in the clinic before they tie the knot, they will be able to start their successful married life with better planning.

The district health authority said that with the best treatment and counseling facilities in the family planning centres, citizens will move away from private hospitals towards public hospitals.

In the briefing, it was said that there will be one doctor and one lady health worker in family planning counseling clinic.

After the success of the clinic, more family planning counseling clinics will be established in other seven rural health centres of the district where doctors, lady health visitors, essential medicines, equipment and family planning guidebooks will be available.

It was said that for the success of pre-marriage counseling, a district-wide awareness campaign will be launched so that new couples get counseling for family planning before starting their married life.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2023.