Udaipur, November 29 (Udaipur Kiran): A thought-provoking play highlighting the dangers of excessive screen time and neglect of elders was staged before newly admitted students at Pacific Institute of Medical Sciences, Umarda, Udaipur on Saturday. The play, written by Dr P.C. Jain, depicted how children immersed in mobile screens and dance ignore their grandmother’s chest pain, leading to her death, followed by deep regret.

The induction programme of 250 newly admitted students began with Jal Pujan and Jal Aarti, led by Jal Mitra Dr P.C. Jain along with the students. Through a short film titled “Aaj Nahi To Kal Jayega, Jal Bin Jeevan Jal Jayega”, Dr Jain stressed the importance of daily water conservation and rooftop rainwater harvesting during the monsoon to recharge groundwater. He also checked the TDS level of drinking water brought by students using a TDS meter and explained the standard for potable water.

In the next presentation, Dr Jain shared facts related to substance abuse, stating that about 37 crore people in the country are affected by some form of addiction, and the number is rising continuously. He said future doctors must have proper knowledge of the harmful effects and treatment of tobacco, alcohol, opium, brown sugar, cannabis and gutkha, and should themselves stay away from addiction.

He interacted with the students by asking who shed tears of joy when they got admission in medical college, to which students replied, “our parents.” He then asked who would be most hurt if they fell into addiction, and students again responded, “our parents,” followed by a collective resolution to stay away from substance abuse.

Through a PPT presentation, Dr Jain also explained the difference in the impact of addiction on boys and girls, stating that substance abuse is more harmful for girls due to physical and hormonal differences and can also cause serious defects in future children.

At the beginning of the programme, Dr Shrinidhi welcomed the participants. Principal Dr Suresh Goyal suggested that such awareness programmes should be organised every six months. The vote of thanks was presented by Dr Pranav Kumar, while the programme was conducted by Sonali Kukreja. The play featured performances by Manishika, Amish, Ankur, Aryan, Kashish, Harshita, Jiya and Sakshi.

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