Mangalore:  On account of World Physiotherapy Day which is celebrated on 8 th September every year, the Department of Physiotherapy Father Muller Medical College, in association with Mangalore Round Table 115 and Mangalore Ladies Circle 82 organised a wellness drive for our school children titled “At Work, At Play, Let Good Posture Lead the Way”. The inaugural programme of this drive was conducted at St. Theresa’s School, Bendoor.

Mangalore on 1 st September at 10:30am. This was graced by Rev. Fr Richard Aloysius Coelho, Director, FMCI; Chief Guest, Rev. Sr. Shaila, Correspondent, St. Theresa’s School, Dr. Antony Sylvan Dsouza, Dean, FMMC; Prof. Cherishma D’Silva, Head & Course Coordinator, Dept of Physiotherapy; Sr Lourdes, Principal, St. Theresa’s School, FMMC;  Nandita Pais, Area 13 Chairperson Ladies Circle India; Haron Fernandes, Chairman, Mangalore Round Table and Monisha Lobo, Chairperson, Mangalore Ladies Circle 82.

The wellness drive commenced from 1 st September to 9 th September, 2022 and comprised of sessions taken in about 20 government and private schools in and around Mangalore for children from 3 rd to 10 th grade. The sole agenda of the drive was to create awareness among school going children about correct posture, healthy eating habits and the importance of physical activities. The sessions were taken both in Kannada and English. The speakers were the faculty of the Department of Physiotherapy and a role play at the beginning of every session was showcased by the final year BPT students, FMMC.

We are very happy to announce that we have touched the lives of 10,000 plus children all across Mangalore during this drive. This event was well appreciated by the Principals, teachers and parents of all the schools. They congratulated the Department of Physiotherapy Father Muller Medical College, Mangalore Round table 115 and Mangalore Ladies Circle 82 for taking up such a huge initiative which would make a valuable difference in each Child’s life.

As John F Kennedy rightly said, “Children are world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future”. As Physiotherapists it is our responsibility to the emphasize importance of physical activity that would build strength, coordination and confidence to lay the groundwork for a healthy lifestyle. There could not have been a better way to celebrate World Physiotherapy Day 2022.