Donated health equipment for awareness goes untapped in Muktsar schools

A philanthropist, who donated 92 blood pressure monitors and an equal number of glucose level monitors, along with multiple self-testing strips, to all government secondary schools in Muktsar district by spending Rs 3.75 lakh in May last year to train students as resource persons, now feels disheartened and claims the project, which was officially launched by cabinet minister Dr Baljit Kaur, has remained stagnant to date.

Providing details, Prof (retd) SPS Brar from Maha Badhar village here says that before purchasing the equipment, he had discussed the idea with the then deputy commissioner and district education officer.

“I feel dejected because the equipment was provided not just to monitor the blood pressure and glucose levels of all Class XI and XII students in government schools. The aim was to make students resource persons so that they could conduct the same tests on their parents at their homes. However, I am disheartened as the project has not taken off till date. The equipment has only been entered into the stock registers of the schools and is lying there as mere showpieces,” says Dr Brar, who heads an NGO called Gurbachan Singh Gurdyal Kaur Science Foundation.

He continues, “A majority of students will not be suffering from hypertension or diabetes. However, it is a fact that in rural areas, poor people are not very concerned about their health and do not undergo any health tests. As a result, both hypertension and diabetes are claiming several lives. My goal was that once the students underwent these simple tests, they would motivate their parents to measure their glucose and blood pressure levels.”

Dr Brar adds that he is ready to provide more such equipment and glucose testing strips, but no request has been received from any school.   In response, Jaspal Monga, District Education Officer, Muktsar, says, “The glucose monitors and blood pressure monitors are available and functional in all government senior secondary schools in the district.”

Bathinda