Lüderitz
Employees of the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture in the Namib Circuit of //Kharas Region joined in an EduSector Health Day at Lüderitz last week.
The EduSector Health Day, held each year for workers in the education sector, provides an opportunity for teachers and other employees in the sector to get to know their HIV, diabetes and cholesterol status, as well as to test their blood pressure.
Deputy Director of the HIV/AIDS Management Unit (HAMU) in the Ministry of Education Arts and Culture Julius Nghifikwa explained that the purpose of the Health Day is to enable staff to come together and access medical screening or examinations free of charge.
Nghifikwa said this year the event was organised by the // Kharas Education Directorate, with the support of HAMU, and took place at three different circuit venues, instead of only one, to ensure the majority of employees (education officials, teaching and non-teaching staff) get access to medical screening, information and counselling services.
He further stressed that the main focus is to make employees aware of their health status and to be able to mitigate illnesses once they are detected.
Knowing their health status enables staff members to get medical support and counselling services as soon as possible to enable them to continue working, thus keeping them productive for longer – a process that would eventually enhance the provision of quality education.
Absenteeism from work due to illness is expected to be minimised – depending on the behaviour of the staff member concerned – thus ensuring the availability of teaching and administrative staff throughout the year.
In this vein the Ministry of Education, through HAMU, encourages all employees in the sector to make sure they attend EduSector’s Health Day events, whenever organised, and to be aware of their health status at all times.
Ailments should be detected and mitigated as early as possible to enable people to live longer and continue providing education services to the Namibian child, as required.
The secretary general of the Namibian National Teachers’ Union (Nantu), Basilius Haingura, said Edusector Health Day started in 2008 in Ongwediva, with the full support of Nantu.
Nantu believes the //Karas EduSector Health day is advantageous for the region – hence, issues of stigma and discrimination faced by employees of the ministry of education are something of the past and many related challenges have been addressed.
He said it is equally important that people know the event aims to bring together all employees of the education ministry and their spouses to access health services free of charge, as well as to promote wellness through voluntary counseling and testing.
Haingura said Nantu believes at this stage there is no reason for staff members of the ministry of education not to know their health status. He said knowing their own health status has one major advantage in that it enables them to manage whatever illness they may suffer from.
“The management of the illness will depend on an individual, but knowledge is always empowering; therefore the earlier the detection the better the chance of mitigation procedures to deal with the illness,” Haingura elaborated.
Haingura concluded by saying employers should not use workers’ health status as a criterion for employment or promotion, and under no circumstances should staff be dismissed for health-related reasons, without following the correct procedures.
“Instead, employees need to be provided with guidance, counseling, support and referrals, so that afflicted employees can be productive like any other employee,” Haingura concluded.
The Mayor of the Lüderitz, Suzan Ndjakeka, commended the Directorate of Education, Arts and Culture for its intensive efforts in carrying out the wellness programme, and for hosting the event in Lüderitz this year.
She said the scope of wellness includes physical and social wellbeing. Therefore, it is highly important that teachers are provided with the necessary support, which will enhance overall wellbeing.
“I wish to seize this opportunity to call for concerted efforts, not just from the education sector, but the entire public and private sector to adopt wellness programmes. Employers need to invest in their most valuable assets, their employees,” Ndjaleka emphasised.
The event was held under the theme ‘Wellness Equals Productivity’, which simply means the wellbeing of employees can improve productivity at the workplace.