• Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura 

Agartala, September 03, 2022 : Expressing displeasure over the rise of addiction of narcotic substances among young boys and girls across Tripura, Chief Minister Prof Dr Manik Saha once again on Saturday appealed students to take care of their health by staying away from the drugs which are highly destructive for their body.

While addressing at the inaugural ceremony of Mukhyamantri Shusta Shaishab, Susta Kaishore Abhiyan (MSSSKA) 3.0 at Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan here in Agartala city, Dr Saha said “Better human resources will be developed only if the health and mentality of children and adolescents are properly developed. Better human resources can take the country forward because today’s children and teenagers are the citizens of tomorrow’s country.”

He said that physical and mental condition of children really improves during childhood and adolescence. About 39 percent of people in our country are children and adolescents and the current government is working to make children and adolescents healthy.

Focusing on ‘Health is Wealth’ and ‘Prevention is better than cure’, Chief Minister said that children and adolescents will be able to fight diseases later if their immune system increases. This is why the Mukhyamantri Shusta Shaishab, Susta Kaishore Abhiyan has been undertaken. He said that various departments of the state government are working together to implement this program. This government is trying to provide health services to all parts of the state. Such programs in the past were never organized in a larger form. But the present state and central government are always taking various programs to keep people healthy. From the stage of the event, the Chief Minister urged the youth of the state to stay away from drugs.

It is to be noted that in this program, from September 5-8, 2022 will be institution-based which include- schools, Anganwadis, degree colleges, Technical, ITI etc. by teachers, Anganwadi workers, Nodal person, ANM, MPW, respectively. From 9-15 September, 2022 for a community-based door-to-door administration or distribution will be done by ASHA, Anganwadi workers and ANM or MPW or CHO etc., respectively.

In the event, the Chief Minister administered medicine to some students. Moreover, in the presence of the chief minister, some students were also given vaccines. On the occasion, Chief Minister Dr Saha awarded the officials of various hospitals and health centres in the state for their good work in providing health services.

Chief Secretary JK Sinha, Director of Social Welfare and Social Education department Dr Siddharth Shiv Jaiswal, Director of School Education department Chandani Chandran also spoke in the programme. The Director of National Health Mission, Subhasish Das gave a welcome speech on the occasion and the Director of Health department, Dr Subhasish Debbarma gave the vote of thanks.