Jawahar Bala Arogya Raksha, a child health care programme, will be implemented in the district from April 1.
As a preparatory to launching the programme which will cover children between 5 and 15 years of age in all government and government aided schools, the Medical and Health Department gave de-worming tablets to 2, 65,148 children out of 2,87,516 in the said age group on Thursday and not a complaint of ill-health was received from any school, said U. Swarajya Lakshmi, District Medical and Health Officer.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Dr. Swarajya Lakshmi said under the JBAR, headmasters and paramedical staff would create awareness among children on personal hygiene, need to wear footwear, usage of toilets, regular nail cutting, lice infestation and washing hands before food and after defecation.
Referral day
She said all anaemic children would be given vitamin B, A and D and folic acid tablets for 15 days from this day and added that the awareness programme would conclude in all schools by March 31.
She said every Tuesday would be observed as referral day and Thursday as screening day.
Each child would be provided a health card in the form of a book to note down all health disorders, including signs of scabies, urinary tract infections, recurrent pain in abdomen, headache, anaemia, eye infections, and respiratory problems by examining doctors. She said children possessing the card would be given priority at every referral hospitals.
Interestingly, the health card also has exclusive pages for marks secured in each subject in the first quarter, half-year and year-end examinations besides regular attendance in school. The health card is being issued for five years i.e. for children from class I to 5 and again from class VI to X.
