The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, launched the Financial Services Commission (FSC) Health and Wellness Week for its employees, yesterday, at the FSC House, in Ebène.
The event is an initiative of the Ministry of Financial Services and Good Governance, and the Ministry of Health and Wellness, in collaboration with the FSC. It is being held from 03 October 2022 to 07 October 2022.
The Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance, Mr Mahen Kumar Seeruttun, the Chief Executive (CE) of the FSC, Mr Dhanesswurnath Thakoor, the Chairperson of the FSC, Mr Mardayah Kona Yerukunondu, and other personalities, were present at the launching ceremony.
In his keynote address, Dr Jagutpal emphasised that this initiative by the FSC is in line with the policy of his Ministry as encouraging a healthy work life balance at the workplace and cultivating a culture of good health and wellness can only be productive both for the FSC and its employees.
Moreover, the Minister appealed to the population to adopt a healthy lifestyle and refrain from consuming harmful products such as cigarettes and alcohol and to maintain a healthy weight by exercising regularly and eating fruits and vegetables.
In addition, Dr Jagutpal encouraged the FSC to set up a Health Club within its premises to strengthen the physical activity programme and join the 22 Health Clubs that have already been set up in different institutions. “I also urge all the staff of the FSC to participate in the blood donation day that will be organised on 07 October 2022 at the FSC in collaboration with Grant Thornton and the State Trading Corporation and to avail of the various screenings and health checks which are being offered today,” he said.
For his part, the CE of the FSC highlighted that in the corporate environment, it is a collective duty to ensure that the good principles of hygiene are translated within the organisation where we work, and it is incumbent for everyone to reproduce those good principles of hygiene in the workplace.
On this note, Mr Thakoor outlined some of the initiatives and programmes undertaken at the level of the Commission to demonstrate commitment to health and wellness and provide a holistic approach to support the health and safety of its employees.
Management can put at the disposal of staff, all necessary infrastructures, and the necessary facilities to have good health. But these are aimed towards the good physical health, the health of the body. The health of the mind within the work comes from within the employees. We need to have the right mental hygiene at the office. We must ensure that within ourselves, we keep the positive vibrations. We maintain the right attitude and contribute towards the betterment of our workplace so that we can come, work and be happy to contribute our share towards the progress of the organisation.
These include: regular health checks and screenings; annual Blood Donation Days; Work-Life balance through flexible working hours; Organisation of events such as Family Day, End of Year Gathering; Health Talks on Healthy Eating Habits, Cancer, Stress Management and First Aid; Employee Assistance Programmes including provision of professional psychologists and internal counselling services; ‘WeCare Inititiave’ whereby financial support is provided for medical treatment; Well-equipped and fully subsidised in-house gym; Weekly in-house Zumba sessions; Football matches; and, Promotion of healthy eating habits through the provision of fruits to staff on a daily basis.
He concluded his speech with these terms: “I would like to quote Mahatma Gandhi, whose birthday was celebrated almost all over the world yesterday and who rightly said, “Your health is your true wealth”. We need to stop measuring the wealth of people in terms of monetary possession, but rather in terms of values and ethics.”
Mr Yerukunondu, for his part, indicated that this Health and Wellness Week will allow the employees of the FSC to benefit from various health promoting activities and remind them that they need to set aside some time for their own personal health and well-being. The Chairperson also dwelt on some of the activities that will be held during the week, namely: health checks; health talks; screening for heart diseases and diabetes; and a blood donation day.
In a statement after the event, Minister Seeruttun recalled that the FSC had first organised its first Health and Wellness Week in 2019. “Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event could not be organised for the last two years, but today, with the assistance of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the FSC is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the success of this Health and Wellness Week 2022,” he pointed out.
This Health Week, the Minister underlined, will contribute to sensitising the employees and the population on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through the adoption of several good practices. He also expressed hope that other institutions will follow the step of the FSC and cater for the health of their employees to contribute towards the betterment of their workplace and towards the progress of their country.
