IMPHAL, August 8: A Manipur State Social Welfare Board sponsored orientation training programme on mental health care for elderly people’s in Manipur and jointly organized by Alzheimer’s & Related Disorder Society of India, Manipur Chapter & National Alliance for Elder’s Peoples Livelihood Research Advocacy and Chronic Disease of India, Imphal was held today at the Singjamei Makha Kakwa Laishram Leikai Machin Narsingha Temple.
It was attended by Manipur State Social Welfare Board, Chairperson, RK Nayansana Devi, Senior Citizen Laishram Babu Singh, Asst Prof Department of Psychiatry, JNIMS Dr K Shantibala Devi and Alzheimer’s & Related Disorder Society of India, Manipur Chapter treasurer Aribam Mangisana as chief guest, president and guests of honour, respectively.
Senior Health Educator and community medicine, RIMS and resource person Dr Meghachandra said the present law and order situation in the state has brought undue stress upon the elders of the state.
While stressing upon the lack of moral education in the state he added the state has witnessed several obscene and repulsive news reports.
He also expressed his desire for the establishment of a Moral education department in Manipur University.
Meanwhile coming on the issue of the rising numbers of overweight and diabetes patients in the state, the resource person continued that the elders of the state should check their diet as to control their weights.
Touching upon another health issue, he said, around 40 percent of all cancer patients in the state are tobacco users.
Chief guest of the function, RK Nayansana Devi in her speech lauded the organizers of the training programme and further expressed her desire to spread such programmes in other parts of the state so as to create awareness about health problems amongst the elders of the state.
She continued the Social Welfare department has been organizing several awareness programmes for the elders of the state and will continue to do so.