The Indonesian Minister of Health, Lt. Gen. TNI (Ret.) Dr. dr., Terawan A. Putranto., Sp. Rad (K). said the campus role as an educational environment for the youth and an assembling place for the productive age could perform as agents of change. Besides, they can also contribute through various health promotion innovations and prevention of various diseases, both infectious and non-infectious.
"The application of a healthy campus is very important as a culture for germas or people in the campus to live a healthy life, especially in preventing of infectious diseases such as Covid-19," he revealed at the 2nd Launching and National Seminar on Healthy Campus with the theme of the Role of Higher Education in the Prevention and Management of Covid-19 in Indonesia online on Thursday (19/11)
On this occasion held by the Director-General of the Indonesian Ministry of Health together with the UGM Health Promoting University (HPU), Terawan demonstrated that accustoming healthy living habits could protect people on campus from contracting Covid-19. This current condition of the Covid-19 pandemic is a new thing. Therefore, it does not rule out the possibility that so many hoax news has emerged. Hence, it is important to enhance health literacy in order to support people to have a healthy lifestyle. This action is important to control and mitigate the impact of Covid-19.
"Hopefully, in the future, all educational institutions and colleges will be a healthy campus and well-prepared for Covid-19. This healthy campus declaration of a healthy campus aims to strengthen, motivate and encourage more to form a healthy campus as a combination of education and health promotion," he explained.
In that regard, Terawan also reminded the campus community to be obedient and disciplined in implementing health protocols during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Don't be unconcerned, do the 3M, namely wearing a mask, washing your hands with soap in flowing water, and keeping your distance," he said.
Beforehand, the Director-General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Culture, Prof. Ir., Nizam, M.Sc., Ph.D., IPM, ASEAN., Eng., revealed that a healthy student is a pioneer to realize excellent Indonesian human resources. Meanwhile, building healthy students starts from a healthy campus.
"A campus that is healthy, physically, mentally, spiritually, and environmentally safe, and comfortable must be created to provide superior human resources in embracing the demographic bonus opportunities that bring an advanced Indonesia and a prosperous society," he explained.
Nizam also expressed his appreciation to the Ministry of Health for encouraging a healthy campus. He appreciated all campuses that actively engaged in movements to create healthy campuses.
He reckoned that a healthy campus would not only impact students and society. However, as agents of change, students are expected to be able to enhance the spirit of healthy living in the broader community, especially in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Students can be considered role models in encouraging hygiene and healthy living habits and being disciplined in carrying out the Covid-19 health protocol.
"We must put clean and healthy living habits forward and foremost, especially in confronting the pandemic. Let's collectively create a healthy campus and healthy community," Nizam said.
There was a keynote speaker from the Deputy Executive Director of the ASEAN University Network-Health Promotion Network at this seminar, namely Asst. Prof. Dr. Vijj Kasemsup, MD., Ph.D. Besides, some UGM, IPD, and Hasanuddin University resource persons, and the Yogyakarta Health Ministry Poltekes attended this event. They once conveyed the good practices of HPU in their respective campuses. Besides, opportunities and challenges of realizing HPU were also the reasons this discussion was organized. On that occasion, the Director-General of Public Health at the Indonesian Ministry of Health and the HPU campus also signed a joint commitment from both parties.
Author: Ika
Translator: Natasa A