We’re concerned about your wellness, Lagos govt tells teachers

Lagos State government has said it would continue to ensure that teachers in its payroll are steadily fit physically, mentally and emotionally to perform their roles.

The Chairman of the state’s Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Mrs Elizabeth Ariyo, gave the assurance at this year’s sensitisation workshop on healthy living organised for the public secondary school teachers across the six education districts of the state at Alausa, on Thursday.

Represented by TESCOM’s Director of Monitoring and Appeal, Mrs Roseline Adefioye, at the event which has no fewer than 150 participants in attendance, Mrs Ariyo said the state government was particularly concerned about the wellness of its teachers, hence the yearly sensitisation programme being organised for them.

She said it was only when a teacher is in a complete state of wellness which is beyond the mere absence of disease that he or she can perform optimally and contribute meaningfully to the teaching profession and the education sector in general.

She said the commission is worried that some teachers lost their lives untimely to some preventable and manageable ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma and so forth while yet some others are unnecessarily subjected to physical and psychological depression.

She said it became more worrisome that while efforts to deal with these situations were ongoing that COVID-19 crept in and altered all the rules of engagements globally.

She said that was why apart from educating participants on some basic healthy lifestyles as regards their mental and reproductive health, dietetics and nutrition, this year’s workshop was focused on the simple and best ways to prevent people from contracting and spreading COVID-19, especially as the third wave is currently raging.

Mrs Ariyo said the belief is that participants would be well-enlightened on their roles to combat the deadly virus, pass the message down to their colleagues, students as well as others and also maintain a healthy lifestyle for all to stay healthy.

To this end, participants who were initially tested for blood sugar and blood pressure were tutored by experts in the four already identified health areas, which are mental, reproductive, Covid-19 infection and nutrition.

They said giving proper attention to these health areas are important for educators to live healthily and be able to contribute significantly to their profession and economy at large.

They said it is quite possible for people to live without ailments but only when they observe regular healthy lifestyles that include good eating habits and physical exercise.

They said it is also disheartening that even when some people including teachers are down of aliments, they would not seek medical help on time but only when the treatment becomes difficult or almost impossible.

They said apart from possible loss of lives, people with one untreated ailment or the other are also liable to health complications that at times could lead to depression and low economic productivity.

Mrs Iyabo Bifarin, an Assistant Director, Nursing Services, Local Government Staff Clinic, and Mrs Ayo Daniel, for example, spoke on reproductive health and mental health respectively, while Mrs Ibironke Akintunde, the key speaker and deputy director, Ministry of Health, as well as Mrs Oludayo Sowolu-Coats from Alimosho General Hospital spoke on the theme of the workshop and the dietetics\nutrition respectively.

They said ailments associated with one health area oftentimes have the potential to affect other areas and therefore people should give attention to all.

Some of the participants told Nigerian Tribune that the seminar was an eye-opener to them. One of them, Mr Makanjuola Bayo from Education District I, Agege said he was not only exposed to basic things he would need to do to stay healthy, he would certainly carry the message down to his colleagues, family members and others.

He, however, urged TESCOM to organise such workshops at school-based and education district levels and not only at a state level and so as to be able to reach many more people.

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