World Water Day is observed globally on March 22nd every year, and this years’ theme was “accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis”. In regard to this, College of Medicine, Gulf Medical University conducted an event to spread awareness about ‘the global water crisis and the need to sustainably manage freshwater resources’ on March 22, 2023.
The faculty from the Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Dr. Liju Susan Mathew and Ms. Aswathy Nandakumar led this initiative. Emphasizing the importance of creating awareness about importance of water and sanitation in human health among students, Ms. Aswathy Nandakumar said “The event highlighted the significance of water conservation and prevention of water pollution”.
Students from the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), Higher Diploma in Preclinical Sciences (HDPCS) and the Bachelor of Biomedical Science (BBMS) programs, College of Medicine participated in this event enthusiastically. They prepared informative posters with facts about importance of water conservation and prevention of water borne diseases and presented it to their peers, staff and faculty. To educate the participants about the water sample collection process and microbiological analysis of water, students collected different samples of contaminated and polluted water from industrial areas, and demonstrated examination under the microscope to check for the presence of any microorganisms.
Additionally, they also enacted a play on an ancient story of a Humming bird, which is about how we react to a crisis. Ms. Sayesha Taneja, student organizer and director of the play said “An appreciable effort was made by the students to make the play easier to comprehend. It was truly a unique experience to direct and to finally witness it live on stage.”
“I commend the students for their consciousness to conserve water to safeguard their own future”, reflected Prof. Manda Venkatramana, Vice Chancellor Academics and Dean, College of Medicine, who is also the Chairman of the Community Engagement Committee of Gulf Medical University.
The students and faculty assembled in the lush green lawn of GMU in a shape of a waterdrop to express support in conserving every drop of water.