IMA to launch School Health Brigade for first aid, life skills training
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) in Thiruvananthapuram has announced a “School Health Brigade” to promote healthy habits among students, in collaboration with the Education and Health departments. The programme will include lessons on first aid, healthy lifestyles and life skills training.
IMA Thiruvananthapuram president A. Althaf said the first phase will train 500 students selected from the city’s 35,000 high school students. He was speaking at a function where the new office-bearers of the IMA’s Thiruvananthapuram chapter assumed office.
First aid lessons generally cover basic response to cuts, burns, fractures, fainting and other common situations. Healthy lifestyle sessions can address nutrition, physical activity, sleep and avoidance of tobacco and alcohol. Life skills training often includes communication, decision-making and coping with peer pressure. The IMA has not released a detailed syllabus for the programme.
The announcement places school students at the centre of a health-awareness effort. School-based health education is widely used to reach children with preventive messages because students can be reached in large numbers and can share what they learn with their families. The success of such programmes usually depends on trained instructors, regular sessions and follow-up.
Health education in schools can complement classroom learning by giving young people practical information about their bodies and about responding to emergencies. It can also encourage students to pass on accurate information to their households. Such programmes need to be age-appropriate and sensitive to local conditions.
At the same function, Varghese T. Panicker, professor in the Department of Cardio Thoracic Surgery at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences, took over as secretary. Vivek K.B. became treasurer. Reji Jose, Praveen K.S. and Paul Samuel took over as vice presidents. Arun Mohan, Susanth and Simi R. took charge as joint secretaries, and N. Shameem became a member of the State working committee.
IMA State President M.N. Menon inaugurated the function. Former State Secretary P. Gopikumar administered the oath to the new office-bearers.
The IMA is a professional body of doctors. Its district chapters take part in public health campaigns, continuing medical education and community outreach. The School Health Brigade is proposed as a collaboration with government departments. Further details on how the programme will be run across schools are awaited.
The first phase, involving 500 students, represents a small share of the city’s high school population. The IMA has not announced a start date, the criteria for selecting students, the duration of training or how the programme will be evaluated. The involvement of the Education and Health departments indicates that it will require coordination between schools and health professionals.
The IMA’s announcement did not specify whether the training will be held during school hours or outside them, or whether students will receive certificates or follow-up sessions. These are operational questions that will determine how the programme works in practice.
The new office-bearers will oversee the chapter’s activities during their term. The School Health Brigade is among the first initiatives announced under the new leadership.
