The Lagos State Teaching Commission (TESCOM) has urged the teaching and non-teaching staff to give priority to their health, warning that neglect could be a contributing factor to the rise in preventable ailments and mental health disorders.
The commission’s chairman, Mrs. Mopelola Peregrino, appealed on Wednesday, during an annual sensitisation seminar with the theme: “Mental Health and Stress Management.” Represented by Mr. Abiodun Bamgboye, she stated the need for staff to cultivate a healthy lifestyle both inside and outside the classroom to reduce mortality rates.
Mrs. Peregrino also expressed concern that teachers often neglect their health, leading to ailments such as asthma, hypertension, and diabetes, as well as an increase in mental and psychiatric disorders. She added that the current global economic downturn has taken a toll on the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of the average Nigerian teacher. However, he reiterated Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to the welfare of teachers, citing the prompt payment of salaries and allowances, access to car and housing loans, a health insurance scheme, and timely promotions.
