Shillong, Sept 20; The Department of Allied Health Sciences, Martin Luther Christian University conducted a four-day Special Nutrition Camp from September 16-19, 2019 at Laitmawroh village, Khatarshnong Block, East Khasi Hills District as part of the “Rahtriya Poshan Maah” or “National Nutrition Month” in collaboration with the University’s National Service Scheme (NSS).
The main objective of organising this Nutrition Public Campaign or Poshan Abhiyaan Jan Andolan is to emphasise on the need for healthy nutrition, to sensitise the public on healthy eating, to address undernutrition and obesity, the twin issues of malnutrition, to look at adolescent issues pertaining to nutrition as well as to promote and highlight the nutritional importance of indigenous food.
On the 17th of September, a Health Camp was organised with the aim of helping the underprivileged people in the community wherein free medical check-up, eye screening, dietary consultation and medication were given to the more than 70 attendees of the camp. A door-to-door visit was also carried out by the students to garner information on the dietary habits of the locals.
On 18th of September, an awareness programme was held based on the reports from the health camp and the house visitations. In this programme the locals were given awareness on Iron Deficiency Anaemia, nutritional benefits of indigenous food, family planning, health status of adolescent boys due to imbalanced diet and faulty life style and the importance of nutrition for young mothers. All these were delivered with the aid of skits, phawar and one-act plays.
On the 19th of September, the concluding day of the camp, the Department inaugurated a community watershed in the presence of the village Headman, members of the Dorbar, the villagers, faculty and the students of the AHS Department, MLCU.
