IMA launches School Health Brigade for high school students in Thiruvananthapuram
The partnership with education and health departments will train high school pupils in first aid, healthy habits, and life skills.
What is the School Health Brigade?
The Indian Medical Association’s Thiruvananthapuram chapter is partnering with the Kerala Education and Health departments to launch a dedicated School Health Brigade, aimed at training young students in essential life skills, basic first aid, and preventive wellness.
The initiative aims to build healthcare awareness early in life. By incorporating structured lessons on physical wellness, emergency response, and daily health habits into school routines, the program seeks to equip students with practical skills that extend beyond classroom learning into their broader communities.
Rollout plan and student coverage
The first phase of the program will train 500 students selected from a pool of 35,000 high school students in Thiruvananthapuram city. These selected participants will undergo specialized instruction before taking on leadership roles within their schools as peer health advocates.
This structured rollout reflects a broader institutional push toward preventive healthcare, linking medical professionals directly with state educational facilities to build robust health awareness from the ground up.
Leadership structure and key appointments
The launch was announced by the new president of IMA Thiruvananthapuram, Dr A. Althaf, during the installation ceremony for the chapter’s incoming office-bearers.
The new leadership team taking charge of the Thiruvananthapuram unit includes several prominent medical professionals from key institutions in the city:
| Position | Name | Professional background |
|---|---|---|
| President | Dr A. Althaf | IMA Thiruvananthapuram |
| Secretary | Dr Varghese T. Panicker | Professor, Department of Cardio Thoracic Surgery, SCTIMST |
| Treasurer | Dr Vivek K.B. | IMA Thiruvananthapuram |
| Vice Presidents | Dr Reji Jose, Dr Praveen K.S., Dr Paul Samuel | IMA Thiruvananthapuram |
| Joint Secretaries | Dr Arun Mohan, Dr Susanth, Dr Simi R. | IMA Thiruvananthapuram |
| State Working Committee Member | Dr N. Shameem | IMA Kerala State |
IMA State President M.N. Menon formally inaugurated the proceedings, while former State Secretary P. Gopikumar administered the oath of office to the incoming executive team.
Building long-term public health resilience
By fostering early awareness of lifestyle diseases, nutritional habits, and basic emergency procedures, the initiative aims to build long-term public health resilience across Kerala's school network. The health and education departments plan to monitor the initial phase closely before scaling the brigade model across more districts in subsequent phases.
Key numbers
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| First phase target students | 500 | IMA Thiruvananthapuram chapter |
| Total high school student population in Thiruvananthapuram city | 35,000 | IMA Thiruvananthapuram chapter |
In this story
| Name | Role in the story |
|---|---|
| Thiruvananthapuram | Location where the initiative is being launched. |
| Indian Medical Association | Main organization launching the School Health Brigade initiative. |
| A. Althaf | Newly installed President of IMA Thiruvananthapuram chapter who announced the initiative. |
