Workshop: The Manipal College of Nursing, in association with Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI), New Delhi, organised a workshop on “Infant and Young Child Feeding Counselling Specialist — The 4 in 1 Training” at Manipal from July 14 to 20.
The main objective of the workshop was to equip healthcare providers with knowledge and appropriate counselling skills to manage the Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Counselling Centre. Twenty six participants attended the workshop.
Pushpa Kini, Professor and Head, Department of Paediatrics, Kasturba Medical College, inaugurated the workshop. The workshop highlighted the importance of optimal feeding practices, and the need to set up an infant and young child feeding counselling centre to contribute towards the millennium development goals.
The emphasis during the workshop was generally on breastfeeding, complementary feeding, growth monitoring and HIV and infant feeding counselling. There were five clinical practice sessions in which participants were able to use their counselling skills in helping the mothers and babies in need.
Faculty programme: The SMV Institute of Technology and Management (SMVITM), Bantakal, under the aegis of the Faculty Chapter of Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE), organised a two-day faculty development programme at Bantakal on July 15 and 16.
The focus on the first day was on “Teachers as Counsellors.” Speaking on “Psychology of Adolescents and Academic Dysfunction: Reasons and Management,” P.V. Bhandary, psychiatrist, elucidated the major behavioural characteristics of adolescence such as rebelliousness, experimentation, impulsiveness and an exaggerated sense of body image. He cautioned the teachers against judging adolescents hastily and jumping to conclusions about the causes of peculiar adolescent behaviours.
Vasudeva S., consultant psychiatrist, Government District Hospital, Udupi, in a session on “Substance Abuse” detailed how one develops tolerance of and dependence on abusive substances such as tobacco, alcohol, narcotic drugs and depressants and the short- and long-term ill-effects of addiction on them.
Vanamahotsava: The SDM College of Ayurveda celebrated Vanamahotsava on its premises at Kuthpady in Udupi on July 18. The students planted nearly 150 herbal and medicinal saplings on the occasion. K.R. Chandrashekhar, Director, Applied Botany, Mangalore University, explained the importance of various plants and their characteristics.
K.R. Ramachandra, College Principal; Prabhakar Renjal, Dean of PG Department; B.R. Doddamani, Wefare Officer; T. Sridhar Bairy, Head of Dravyaguna Department; and Srikant P., NSS Coordinator, were present.
