UP Governor expresses concern over poor health of girl students
GORAKHPUR Governor Anandiben Patel on Tuesday expressed her concern over high number of girl students suffering from anaemia in the state and stressed on the need for taking some concrete steps immediately.
Addressing a group of students during the concluding ceremony of foundation day of Maharana Pratap Shiksha Parishad (MPSP), the academic wing of Gorakhnath temple, Patel said the gravity of the situation could be gauged by the fact that 30 to 51 percent girl students were found to have haemoglobin level as low as 5 to 7 percent. She said poor diet, lack of interest in sport activities and increased use of social media were main reasons for poor health of students, particularly of the girls.
The governor instructed principals of schools and colleges to take girl students to women hospitals where they could see how much pain mothers had to undergo for giving birth to babies. She said that it would make girl students aware of the importance of being healthy girls if they wanted to become mothers in future.
Patel, who shared dais with chief minister Yogi Adityanath, said, “On my direction to vice chancellors of different universities, haemoglobin test of girl students was conducted and the test reports were quite alarming. Between 30 to 51 percent of girl students were found to have haemoglobin level as low as 5 to 6 or 7 percent, against normal level of 12 to 13 percent.”
Despite knowing well the importance of nutritious diet for good health, girls do not show interest in taking proper diet, governor said, adding even girls’ parents are worried only over their marriages but they have no time to think about their health.
“I direct principals of these schools and colleges to conduct the haemoglobin test of girl students and take them to doctors if the haemoglobin level was low,” she added.
Another reason for poor health is lack of interest towards sports especially after the 9th standard as students, under the pressure of their parents, dedicate their all energy in obtaining good marks.
“I will tell them that they can move ahead in their lives and become toppers only when they have good health,” said the governor while distributing medals and certificate to 715 students who emerged successful in various competitions organised during the week-long celebrations of the foundation day.
The governor, who spent 30 years of her life in teaching children in schools, suggested students to participate in sports activities necessarily or pursue hobbies like music and singing. She asked them to act as good citizens by saving water, stopping wastage of food and contribute to cleanliness.
She told them to spare some time for reading other books in addition to their text books.
“Centre and state government are focusing on basic education as values, morality, good habits can be developed at early stage of life, when a child is studying in standard 1 to 8 and these learnt behaviour remains with them throughout their lives,” she said.
At the end of her 30-minute speech, Patel said India with 60 percent population below the age of 35 is youngest nation, compared to Western countries where 80 percent of people are above 60.
She said there was an immense possibility in future that the competent students of young age from India received job calls from abroad, for which they would have to be prepared.
Earlier, the chief minister in his address recalled the role of Mahanat Digvijaynath in setting up Shiksha Parishad in 1932 with the aim of imparting education and inculcating a sense of nationalism and patriotism in young generation.
