Health Minister James Sangma has said that Science and Mathematics are subjects that will be key drivers of growth and development of human civilization.
Speaking at a programme organised by the Indian Institute of Public Health- Shillong (IIPH-S) to highlight public health concerns in the State yesterday, the minister lamented that in Meghalaya only 12 per cent students have been found to take up Science stream in +2. He said that the two subjects will aid in providing effective and concrete solutions to complex problems associated with not only health but also other complex problems like climate change and environmental concerns.
As per the assessment of the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE), +2 results, 2020 reveals that only 12 per cent of students in the State took up Science Stream while 7 per cent opted for the Commerce stream and whopping 81 per cent students belonged to the Arts Stream. Alternatively, in more developed States such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra, the percentage of science +2 students ranges between 70-85 per cent.
It may be mentioned that IIPH-Shillong is launching a Bachelors in Public Health (BPH) programme from this year, with an intention to create opportunities for Science Students in State while also addressing the shortage of public health experts. Therefore, in order to encourage more students, especially from marginalised communities in rural areas, to pursue career avenues in science stream, the minister, while appreciating IIPH’s initiative, assured that he would also initiate discussion with the Chief Minister on possibilities of providing scholarships to them.
While congratulating the first batch of Masters in Public Health (MPH) students on successfully completing their degree from IIPH-Shillong, the minister commended IIPH-Shillong for its support to the State Health & Family Welfare Department through their expertise in the realm of research and academia in various domains of public health.
At the programme, analysis and presentations were given by the first batch of graduated MPH students on a range of public health issues in the State including- Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness among Women; Assessment of Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) Scheme; institutional delivery, IMR and MMR; Trends of Scrub Typhus Cases from 2017-2020 in a tertiary care hospital and COVID-19 in Meghalaya: A Summary of Research Activities conducted by IIPH-Shillong.
The programme also witnessed participation and interaction among key officials of the Directorate of Health Services (DHS), NHM-Meghalaya, including officials from the Health Department along with the students and faculty members of IIPH-Shillong.
