June 30, 2024 – The Enterprise and Sustainable Society Section, Khon Kaen University and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), carried out the free health checking project for people in Chaiyaphum and the vicinity under the community support and sustainability concept. Miss Supamas Issarapakdee, Minister of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation also came to the event on the occasion of her area visit before the Roaming Cabinet Meeting, the Lower Northeast Group 1 at Bang Amphan Temple, Chaiyaphum.
The free health checking service this time shows the University’s social devotion and community support. Many departments and divisions of Khon Kaen University have collaborated in the project including the Science Park, the Center for Technology and Innovation Administration of the Faculty of Dentistry, the Cholangiocarcinoma Institute, and the Chronic Kidney Disease Northeast Thailand (CKDNET). The event was aimed at enabling people access to quality health service without having to pay anything. The screening of frequently found diseases was emphasized including cholangiocarcinoma, liver fluke disease, renal disease. Dental care service including checking and teeth cleaning was also provided as well as giving information about health protection and care.
The activity meets many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal No. 3: Good Health and Well-being, Goal No. 6: Clean Water and Sanitation), Goal No. 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Goal No. 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure. Therefore, it is another important step to build sustainability in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals, with an emphasis on good health and sustainable quality of life of the people.
Besides providing free health check, a lecturer from Khon Kaen University and the head of the project: “Development of Drone Service Occupation for Returned Migrant Workers Who Received Impact from Covid-19”, Assoc. Prof. Kwantree Saengprachatanarak, Ph.D., from the Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, reported the progress of her project, which has been granted monetary support from the Office of Higher Education Policy for Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation and the Unit for Area Development and Management of Fund. The business model of the project was also presented with the development model in building the network for professional drone service providers. The project has trained over 60 professional drone service providers and the Agricultural Drone Club was established in Chaiyaphum. The club will enable learning and sharing about the efficient use of drone, reduction of cost, and increase of production for farmers, while the drones are environmental friendly and are in accordance with SDGs.
Miss Supamas Issarapakdee, Minister of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation said after listening to the report above that Chaiyaphum is a province where there are a lot of farmers and farming activities. However, there are problems in agriculture such as the problem of water resource, use of chemicals, etc. The Minister therefore asked administrators and divisions in MHESI to brainstorm and find the approaches to solve the problems for the farmers so that their quality of life will be improved. The emergent policy is to find the tools to assist the farmers such as smart tools and robots, which are under the target in technology and industry of the Government. There is the policy such as “Agricultural Drone for Mitigating Poverty” that will reduce risks in contact or reduce impact from the use of chemicals, reduce cost for the farmers as well as time and labor, leading to increased income.”
News / Photos: Rawiporn Saisaenthong