‘Coordinated School Health Program’ was the 1^st project of emed and was launched in 2003. Since then the global health organization has marched with success on the road of providing health education & awareness to the school going children by arranging training workshops on medical emergencies in schools, lectures on communicable diseases, healthy life style, water borne diseases, obesity, dental hygiene & by free testing of the parents & teaching staffs of the schools. Schools, also, have always found it very useful to participate in various health awareness activities as best poster/poem/skit competitions & awareness walks.

On 30.9.2009 this collaboration in health awareness leaped forward when emed, in collaboration with Faisalabad Arts Council, organized an inter-school skit competition for 9 schools of Faisalabad city on ‘Household Poisons’ which is a very important area where students, teachers & students need education & information.

The sensitization meeting on the subject was called in February 2009 where complete information was given to the representative teachers of the participating schools & were also provided with the CDs & other helping material. Following were the participating schools:

• Beacon house System of Schools (Primary Branch)
• The City School
• Lahore Grammar School
• Kohinoor Grammar School
• La Salle High School
• Sacred Heart High School
• Divisional Model College (DMC)
• Little Angels School
• Government Sabria Sirajia Higher Secondary School

“An average home in our society carries more than 60 substances dangerous to health while at the turn of 20^th century, even a laboratory did not have that many substances (WHO)”. These substances include all sort of insecticide pills & sprays, wheat pills, air fresheners, body lotions, perfumes, furniture polishes, window cleaners, bathroom cleaners, kitchen cleaners, washing powders, kerosene oil, cosmetics, cigarettes, paints, micro wave ovens & all sorts of MEDICINES.

Event was arranged in Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan auditorium of Faisalabad Arts Council & Principal Punjab Medical College/Allied Hospital/DHQ Hospital, Prof Riaz Hussain Dub was the chief guest. It started at 9:30 am & Senior Vice President emed, Mr Tariq Mushtaq, welcomed all the participating schools & guests on behalf of the executive & advisory councils of emed. Member Advisory Council, Dr Zahid Masood Khan declared the event open. Panel of judges included Prof Ahmad Bilal (President emed), Dr Mohammad Aslam (Patron emed & Head of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology Department, University Medical College) and Miss Shazia (Lady Traffic Warden).

Students from all participating schools, under the supervision, of their teachers gave a wonderful performance & showed high level of inquisitive learning towards the subject of the competition. Hundreds of students were present on the occasion as audience & they took great advantage of getting awareness on the toxic substances in our homes.

While addressing the children Prof Ahmad Bilal stressed on the need of a continuous health education to the children in their schools which is directly related to their health. Present on the occasion, Dr Saood Saqib, Head of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology Independent Medical College Faisalabad, appreciated the idea of holding such competitions on sensitive health issues of our new generation.

The chief guest, Prof Riaz Hussain Dub recalled his early school days when level of information & awareness was not that effective. He considered the present students as a blessed community who can have so many means of health information. He appreciated emed on their continuous struggle for up grading the preventive aspect of our health facilities. He assured his help & support for such activities in future also.

In the end, on behalf of jury, Dr Mohammad Aslam announced the results:

The chief guest along with Prof Ahmad Bilal, Dr Zahid Masood Khan, Mr Tariq Mushtaq & Mr Waseem Siddique distributed prizes in jubilant students.

Dr Khurram Raja thanked Dr Mohammad Aslam for sponsoring the prizes. He also thanked the chief guest, audience, participants, emed student members of 4^th year PMC (Ali Raza, Shajeel, Zain, Sidra & Sundus), emed students from college of paramedics and guests including traffic members, Rescue 1122, people from print and electronic media and all the other respected guests for taking their time out to grace the occasion.