Compulsory health check up should be re-introduced in schools to improve the health of children and awareness of parents, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Daggubati Purandeswari, has said. Participating in a dental and oral cancer awareness programme conducted by the Indo-American Dental Hospital here on Sunday the Union Minister recalled how there annual medical checkups was conducted in school annually.
Doctors would check the height, weight, eye sight, blood composition and even oral health and a report would be sent to the parents. If the doctors found some problem, suggestions were made to consult a specialist.
Ms. Purandeswari recalled how her parents followed up the health check-up reports that were sent from schools. The reports gave details about the child’s eyesight, oral hygiene, fitness details like over weight, under weight and another medical condition. She felt that these health check ups should be made mandatory. This would improve the health awareness of several parents too, she said.
Ms. Purandeswari said that oral cancer was a very big killer. Oral cancer was the third largest killer in the different types of cancers. She said according to a few survey’s awareness about harm done by tobacco products was more in the younger generation because of literacy, but unfortunately the propensity of the youngsters to use tobacco products was also found to be high.
Noted radiologist and former director of NIMS Kakarla Subba Rao said there was a change in the burden of disease. Earlier it was infections, but now it was heart attack and cancer. He said doctors should give the importance they gave to treatment to prevention also.
Indo American Dental Hospital maxillofacial surgeon Yadlapalli Ram Kumar gave a Power Point presentation on oral cancer and road accidents. He said 40 per cent of the accident victims covered under Arogyasri were involved in driving after drinking. Though there were many others more deserving those injured in driving after drinking were getting the benefit. He urged the state Government not to extend the benefit to such people.
Peridontist Kakarala Sabana presided.