jaspreetsingh@barusahib.orgIn today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, preventive healthcare and mental well-being have become foundational pillars of a healthy society. Rising lifestyle disorders, adolescent stress, and limited awareness about menstrual hygiene demand early intervention — especially at the grassroots level.
Recognizing this urgent need, the Department of Community Health and Nursing at Akal College of Nursing, a constituent college of Eternal University, successfully conducted a comprehensive School Health Program at Govt. Senior Secondary School, Kotla Mangan.
This initiative reflected a strong commitment to building health-aware communities through structured academic outreach.
Comprehensive Health Screening for Students
More than 120 students benefited from detailed health assessments conducted by trained nursing students under expert faculty supervision.
The screenings included:
- General physical health assessments
- Blood pressure monitoring
- Blood sugar testing
- Visual acuity screening
- Personal hygiene evaluation
Such early detection and health monitoring play a crucial role in preventing long-term complications and encouraging healthier lifestyle choices among adolescents.
Promoting Mental Well-Being and Emotional Intelligence
Adolescent mental health is a growing concern across educational institutions. To address this, the program included an interactive Emotional Intelligence Workshop designed to strengthen mental resilience, self-awareness, and stress management skills.
By encouraging open dialogue and awareness, the initiative promoted emotional strength alongside physical well-being.
Menstrual Health Awareness – Empowering Adolescent Girls
Menstrual health education remains a sensitive yet essential topic in many rural and semi-urban communities. Through a dedicated awareness session, adolescent girls were empowered with accurate information about:
- Menstrual hygiene management
- Safe and healthy practices
- Breaking stigma through awareness
- Building confidence and self-care habits
Knowledge-driven confidence is the first step toward long-term health empowerment.
Teachers’ Health Matters Too
The outreach program also extended its benefits to school faculty members. Teachers underwent BP monitoring, blood sugar testing, and visual acuity screening — reinforcing the message that preventive healthcare must include educators who shape young minds daily.
Future Nurses in Action – Translating Knowledge into Impact
What made this initiative truly impactful was the active involvement of:
- B.Sc. Nursing (4th Year) students
- M.Sc. Nursing (1st & 2nd Year) students
Under expert supervision, these future healthcare leaders demonstrated clinical precision, compassionate care, and community engagement — reflecting the evolving role of nurses as preventive care advocates, mental health educators, and public health leaders.
This was not merely a field visit. It was experiential learning with measurable social impact.
Academia and Community – A Powerful Partnership
This School Health Program stands as a model of effective academia-community collaboration. It demonstrates how higher education institutions can extend beyond classrooms to nurture responsible, resilient, and socially aware healthcare professionals.
By integrating preventive healthcare, mental health awareness, and menstrual hygiene education into grassroots outreach, Eternal University continues to uphold its commitment to holistic and value-based healthcare education.
Building Healthier Futures, One School at a Time
In a time when healthcare must move from cure to prevention, initiatives like these shape stronger communities. When institutions take responsibility beyond degrees and focus on community transformation, real change begins.
Preventive healthcare at the grassroots is not an option — it is the future.
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