World Health Day 2024: Let Us Celebrate 'My Health, My Right'

A warm Monday morning saw enthusiastic nursing college students from St. Philomena's College of Nursing, students in mime makeup, and other students who were ready for their dance performance. This was the charged atmosphere at the Outpatient Department in St. Philomena's Hospital. What was everyone so happy to celebrate? It was 'health', of course!

Rather specifically, it was a gathering of students and staff from St. Philomena's Hospital and from St. Philomena's College of Nursing, who were all eager to celebrate World Health Day 2024.

April 7th is celebrated as World Health Day every year. Celebrated as an event to mark the formation of the World Health Organisation in 1948, it is on this day that we all have the chance to reflect on the provision of seamless health care to everyone. This year, the theme of World Health Day was 'My Health, My Right'. Yes, access to optimum healthcare facilities is everyone's right.

The theme emphasises the importance of access to quality healthcare as a fundamental human right. It highlights the need for everyone to have access to essential health services, education, and information to live a healthy life.

After a special invocation song, Dr. Shankar Prasad, Medical Director of St. Philomena's Hospital was invited to speak a few words about World Health Day and the implications of this year's theme on this special occasion.

There was an excellent mime performance that concluded with the mime artists holding up a banner with the words, 'From Womb To Tomb, My Health, My Right'. There was also an enthralling dance performance, in addition to a quiz that made the audience provide answers with World Health Day as the theme for the quiz.

In conclusion, we all need to strive to guarantee that everyone has the privilege to receive preventive care and treatment. It is important to cultivate a society where individuals can contribute and effectively play their part in sustaining the provision of health care to all members of our society. Let us champion healthcare for all, not just for the fortunate few. We need to live in a world in which everyone has an equal opportunity to experience a life filled with vitality as a consequence of health being the right of every person.

The students from St. Philomena's College of Nursing deserve all the appreciation that could be provided, as their performances were well coordinated and the message in each performance was expressed with a good level of diligence, clarity, and intellect.