Singtam District Hospital conducted training on the concept of SATTHI Sikkim

Singtam: The Singtam District Mental Health Cell, Singtam District Hospital conducted training of20  peer educators of Sirwani Secondary School on 11 June 2016 at Singtam District Hospital.

The Singtam District Hospital has adopted Sirwani School for prmoting peer educators intervention based on the concept of SATTHI  Sikkim that was implemented in 2013 in Deorali and Tadong Secondary School as pilot project. Peer based program is based on the concept that an adolecsent children are more receptive to health promotion information when they are delivered by their own peers. Therefore, 20 students have been nominated by the school administration to undergo one year peer education training continously to build and develop students resources to disseminate health realted information pertaining to adolescent health issues. These 20 peer educators will also be imparted skills to provide brief counselling to motivate their peers to seek help.

Miss Sonamkith Lepcha ( Nurse Counselor)  conducted an interactive session on harmful effects of tobacco on 11 june 2016. She highlighted that tobacco smoking and chewing causes more than 60 Non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, peripheral vascular diseases, asthma, bronchitis,  emphysema, gastritis, dental diseases, cataract, skin wrinkle, hair loss, infertility, impotence,  heart attack and several types of cancers. Tobacco contains more than 4000 chemicals including 60 carcinogens ( cancer chemicals).

So every time you smoke one cigarretes or chew tobacco, we consume 60 cancer causing chemicals. Every cigarretes also shorten our life by 11 minutes. Boys should note that tobacco decrease sperm count leading to infertility in future. Further, tobacco can cause impotency. And girls should remain aware that tobacco leads to bad breaths, yellowish discoloration of tooth, wrinkling of skin, and hair loss that can destroys the beauty of an individual. During an inteactive session, students enquired about the strategy to quit and how to help their peers to quit.

Mr TT Bhutia ( Principal) thanked the Singtam Hospital for initiating this project .