Ayushman Bharat – School Health and Wellness Programme launched in East Khasi Hills

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 5, 2023

Schools in East Khasi Hills will have two school and wellness ambassadors identified by respective school principals in an effort to bring about holistic development of adolescent students.

In this connection, Ayushman Bharat – School Health and Wellness Programme was launched in East Khasi Hills on Friday at Soso Tham auditorium. The programme is a collaboration between the Health department and the Education department.

Later, speaking to reporters, Additional District Medical & Health Officer, East Khasi Hills Dr EG Tariang Pajat said that schools play a critical role in helping students to establish a life-long healthy behaviour while affirming that the health department is promoting a school-based health programme.

She informed the principals of the respective schools are to select one male and one female teacher so that counselling for the students can be done.

Tariang said, “The two teachers will have counselling sessions every week for the students of classes 9 to 12. Recognising this, we promote a school-based health promotion programme where we have to select two teachers – one female and one male from each school, so that counselling for the students can be done and both the teachers will be trained on 11 thematic areas.”

The areas in which the teachers will be trained will be on personal hygiene, diet and nutrition, use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs, mental health and depression, road safety and injuries, relationships, early marriage, teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence, physical activities, yoga and meditation.

Tariang said that the objective of this programme is to provide age-appropriate information on health and nutrition to promote healthy behaviour, safe drinking water and to promote safe menstrual hygiene and physical activity, yoga and meditation.

Meanwhile, District School Education Officer M Lyngwa said that the programme targets adolescent age groups by focussing on the student’s mental, physical, and emotional well-being and not only on the performance of the student academics-wise.

She also said that principals and headmasters from over 124 secondary and higher secondary schools are taking part in the orientation programme.