SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES
WHAT IS SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES:
School Health Services is a branch of preventive medicine which deals with medical inspection of school children and their health protection primarily in the environment of the school. After the pre-school period, a child enters primary education at the age about four years and in doing so he joins a group of school children of his own age and identifies himself with fellows of his group. He knows his position at this period in a competitive way. While moving with his fellow friends he learns for himself to what extent he can compete with them in his lessons, in other activities and sports etc. activities of this sort do subject him to certain hazards like accidents and disease. His association with other children in his group does play a part in producing factors which might cause him injuries, or expose him to the risk of infection. Moreover, his close movement with other members of the community in the school both while sitting in the school and in acts like talking, laughing etc., increase the chances of communicable diseases. It is clear, therefore that while he is in the school he need an environment which can ensure him a comfortable seating arrangement, safe water supply, protection from accidents, adequate sanitary facilities and sufficient opportunities for his physical education. Apart from these he needs knowledge in health education which relates to healthy living and his own responsibilities in matters pertaining to health, so that when he grows up and has his own family he contributes this knowledge in bringing of these principles in his own family. This evidently can be effectively carried out only through organized community efforts by having a School Health Services.
OBJECTS OF SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES:
The aims and objects of School Health Services are directed towards an early detection of defects through a programme of periodical medical inspection of school children, a follow-up services, teaching of the staff of the school to detect such defects, whenever possible, to minimize the chances of spread of communicable diseases and to protect the child from hazards which may cause injury, disease or disability to him. In addition to the above, the service aims at providing a healthy environment within the capacity of his understanding in the principles of healthy living, so that the knowledge that he acquires, is communicated through the medium of school child to the parents, thereby educating the parents themselves.
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES IN PAKISTAN:
The School Health Services in Pakistan may be said to be of recent origin and is still in the process of development. Majority of school yet remain uncovered by an organized School Health Services. There are, however some places where good School Health Services programmes have been started to function with the assistance of UNICEF, whole-time school units have been opened in a number of places. In some provinces there are private practitioners especially in private schools entrusted with the task of periodical inspection of school children but do not have adequate facilities for a follow-up service which is essential for a good school health programme. In such places all that a medical inspector does is to record the abnormalities detected by him and issue referral cards for the correction of defects to the institutions, there being no machinery to carry out the follow-up service. This system is obviously defective in that there is no persuasion by any man to ensure the correction of defects in the school children. No School Health Services can be satisfactory without a machinery of follow-up programme. CHQ being a tertiary care center with state-of-the-art equipments & highly trained staff is well capable in fulfilling this huge gap.
CHQ SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES:
What is principally to be aimed at in a School Health Service is provision of good seating arrangements in the schools so that children do not develop postural defects, provision of safe water supply, providing reasonable sanitary facilities with adequate arrangements for the disposal of refuse and human excreta, good ventilation and lighting in the school building as well as health education to the school children education of school teachers in treatment of minor ailments like earache, sore eyes, pain in the tooth minor accidents is another important aspect. As a matter of fact he/she should not only be a teacher but an active member of School Health Services. Health education as well as performing vaccinations, inoculations and rendering first-aid under the supervision of a teacher.
CHQ health team will visit school twice in a year and will give the following consultations and medical facilities to every student. For this services the school just have to pay very nominal amount per student in a year, in two installment before each visit. We will give a plane of visit in a view of students number. It can be one or two week programme. We will make a complete medical record of every student and give them a medical registration ID card for treatment in CHQ with the discounted rate.
CHQ SCHOOL HEALTH TEAM:
CHQ School Health Team is a whole-time Medical Service consists of two groups: -
| Group One Permanent member: | Group Two on call member: |
|
One Consultant Two Senior Medical Officer Three Clinical Nurses Four Nursing Assistants |
Neurologist Otolaryngologist Ophthalmologist Peadiatric Surgeon Dentist |
FUNCTION OF SCHOOL HEALTH TEAM:
Medical inspection of school children with a view to detect any defects and their follow-up. As indicated earlier, all abnormalities and any relevant information pertaining to the school child will be recorded on the Medical Inspection Card and the case followed-up until correction.
Detection and correction of defects through hospital.
Follow-up service is essential and required to ensure that the defects noticed by the Consultant or Senior Medical Officer of the school health team are corrected promptly.
Communicable diseases control. This will be done by periodical immunization. Detecting of case of communicable disease and checking its spread to other children. Whenever a case of communicable disease is reported, prompt action will be taken for isolation and methods to prevent the spread in other children.
Environmental sanitation. This includes inspection of school building, ventilation arrangements, sitting arrangements, as well as toiler facilities and availability of playground.
Health education. The programme of health education is inevitable in a good school service. Health education is essential to impart knowledge of health and disease to the school child which will be useful not only to him but also to the parents.
Accident prevention through the cooperation of the school teachers the children are given simple instructions which will be helpful in avoiding accidents.
Coordination in physical education. Coordination is necessary because the children who are having defects will be exempted from physical education.
Referral of abnormal cases to hospital. Abnormal cases will be referred with proper notes to the specialists in CHQ.
Training of teachers. Training of teachers is an important factor in a programme of School Health Services. Properly trained teacher will be able to make proper observations on the school children and treat minor ailments and also immunize the pupil against infectious diseases when a nurse is not available through our health services we will educated the school teachers in detecting & managing the problem in childhood.
MODUS OPERANDI
IN SCHOOL SIX MONTHLY VISITS:
Registration and History & Physical Examination.
Medical
Checkup.
Water & Sanitation.
Class Room Environment.
Play Therapy.
Regular Vaccination at Discounted Rate.
Lectures Regarding Health Care Bimonthly.
IN SCHOOL TIMING EMERGENCY MEDICAL FACILITIES:
Emergency Converge Free.
Connivance (on payment).
AND AFTER SCHOOL TIMING:
25% Discount on Consultation.
10% Discount on Admission.
10% Discount on each Surgery Case.
10% Discount on each Lab Test.
10% Discount on each Radiology Test.