Regular health checkups for school children in government schools have been neglected for the past nine years in Hyderabad. This has left headmasters struggling to implement the program effectively due to a lack of support from the Telangana State Medical and Health Department.
The primary issue is the absence of doctors at the Primary Health Centres (PHCs), making it difficult to maintain the health profiles of students. Instead, basic health checks are conducted by Asha workers or staff nurses, with students being referred to area hospitals for further examination if needed.
Efforts to print health cards for students in 2014-15 also faced challenges due to the lack of doctors to sign them. This has raised concerns about the accuracy and completeness of the health profiles being maintained for students.
Some school headmasters suggest that coordination between the TSMHD and the TSSED, along with involving doctors from various hospitals and medical colleges, could help address the shortage of doctors at PHCs. Holding health examination camps twice a year and utilizing medical house surgeons may also be beneficial.
There is hope that the current state government will address these issues by involving doctors and seeking assistance from the Centre to improve the implementation of regular health checkups for school children.
