The State government has decided to conduct health tests for over 30 lakh students across the State and issue health cards to them from the next academic year.
Accordingly, the Health Department officials had been directed to start comprehensive health check-ups for students from July and complete the process within six months. This would be followed by issue of health cards to the students.
Hygiene kits
In addition, the government will distribute health and hygiene kits to close to eight lakh students enrolled in the SC/ST/BC/minority residential educational institutions, KGBVs, government high schools and other institutions.
The decisions were announced by Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari and Health Minister C. Lakshma Reddy after a review meeting with senior officials on Wednesday.
The Ministers directed the officials of the Health and Education departments to prepare a joint action plan for ensuring that there were no students in the state who were left uncovered by the scheme.
Officials should accordingly prepare and release institution-wise schedules for the health tests so that all students in the State were covered under the first-of-its kind programme in the country, the Ministers said.
The government was already distributing health kits to more than 3 lakh girl students through the Education Department and efforts should be made to cover the remaining 5 lakh students enrolled in these institutions.
Awareness programme
The officials concerned had also been directed to conduct awareness programmes for students studying seventh to tenth standards on the likely health complications they could face and the precautionary measures to be taken.
Teachers should also be adequately trained on the health aspects so that health related issues could be addressed at the early stages.
