Parental resistance hampers implementation of school health programmes in region

Implementing health programmes at educational institutes is an uphill task for the managements of government and private schools in the region.

While the Health Department insists on following various components of school health programmes, including screening, healthcare, providing basic medical kits for taking care of common ailments prevalent among pupils, immunisation de-worming and administration of micronutrients, personnel at most schools hesitate in administering these medicine either orally or through injections as many parents are not in favour of this practice.

Parents argue that they regularly availed medical services at private and government healthcare centres to get preventive medicines and vaccines for their children.

“Even though community health centres deploy experienced paramedical staff to conduct screening and administer medicines to wards, their parents usually raise objections to the administration of any type of medicine, supplement or vaccines,” said Viney Goyal, a principal. The administration of iron folate tablets, de-worming tablets, vitamin A and certain components of immunisation are normally objected to by many parents.

Ahmedgarh Community Health Centre SMO Dr Jyoti Kapoor acknowledged the issue, saying it hampered the implementation of the guidelines of the Health Department at schools according to the norms of the World Health Organization (WHO). Although, she claimed that targets were achieved by undertaking special campaigns, including the organisation of outreach camps at villages and in slum areas, and reinforcement of activities of paramedical staff.

Monitoring and follow up reports prepared after holding screening camps, capacity-building of teachers and school staff and counselling of parents through elected members of civic bodies; were cited as the main measures being undertaken to cope with the situation. “As the Health Department has a complete record of expectant mothers and children, online record of dropout cases is easily available,” said Dr Kapoor, adding that best efforts were made to ensure the implementation of programmes.