The District Family Welfare Bureau in association with K. A. P. Viswanatham Government Medical College organised an awareness rally on the occasion of World Population Day here on Thursday.
The rally involving students from several schools and colleges around the city was flagged off by Collector S. Sivarasu, who announced that the focal theme for this year was ‘Adopting family planning for maintaining Mother and Child Health’.
Observed globally, the day seeks to highlight the need for population stabilisation and balanced sex ratio. “India's population has crossed 121 crore, and given the current rate of growth, the population of India is expected to surpass that of China by the year 2028. The population in Tamil Nadu is currently over 8 crore while in Tiruchi, the number stands at 29,57,399,” said P. Sukumari, Deputy Directors of Medical, Rural Health Services and Family Welfare, Tiruchi, in her inaugural address.
A discussion was organised later in the day with school students, along with paramedical, medical and nursing students of the K. A. P. Viswanatham Government Medical College. Speaking at the event, Samsath Begum, Joint Director of Health Services, urged children to discuss family planning and other such topics at home. Students can bring their family members and relatives for counselling and family planning as it is an important aspect of healthcare for a mother and child, apart from its contribution to population stabilisation, she said.
The sex ratio in Tamil Nadu is currently 947 females for every 1,000 males but it could be made better said Dr. Begum. “Please request your family members not to coax doctors to tell them the sex of an unborn child. It is punishable by law. Students of medicine must ensure that such practices do not take place,” she said.
R. Yeganathan, Medical Superintendent, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital and A. Arshiya Begum, Vice-Principal, K.A.P.Viswanatham Government Medical College were among who attended the event.
