Sudden Health Emergencies Among School Children Highlight the Need for Regular Medical Check-ups, Heart Health Awareness and Better School Healthcare Facilities
The health of the schoolchildren is becoming an increasing concern amongst parents, teachers, and educational institutes. While education institutes concentrate their efforts on performance, exams, and extracurricular activities, there is another area which requires as much attention as the former, which is the physical and mental well-being of students.
In recent times, news regarding a young girl who was a class 3 student falling unconscious due to having a heart-related medical problem has created a lot of worry about the health of children and awareness about the medical problems of children within schools. While the exact medical information about the case will need to be verified, this case tells us that sometimes serious medical problems can be faced by children even when they are young.
This case brings up a very important question. Is enough being done by schools and parents to ensure the health of children?
Growing Concern Over Students' Health
There are some health concerns which affect children going to school today. These include long hours spent studying, lack of physical activities, poor eating habits, too much exposure to television and computer screens and improper sleeping habits.
Although these conditions do not necessarily lead to heart disease, they may certainly affect the general well-being of the child.
The main emphasis in most schools is laid on academic performance and examination results, but health checks should also form an important part of the school curriculum.
Can Children Have Serious Heart Conditions?
Many people assume that heart diseases are problems that mostly affect adults. Children can also have serious heart diseases.
The child may be born with heart problems such as congenital heart defects or acquire them through infections, hereditary factors, or other medical complications.
Signs that may need to be checked by a doctor include:
• Sudden fainting or falling down.
• Pain in the chest, especially during exercise.
• Breathlessness.
• Frequent dizziness.
• A fast or an irregular heartbeat.
• Tiredness during normal daily activities.
• Limitations in participation in physical activities compared to other children.
However, the above signs don’t necessarily mean that the child is suffering from heart disease. However, the parent should take the child to a qualified doctor.
Schools Must Strengthen Student Health Monitoring
Educational institutions have some responsibilities towards the well-being of the students beyond providing them with education in the classrooms. The institutions may have to plan for monitoring the health of their students.
These include the following measures:
1. Health Camps
Health camp sessions should be planned periodically wherein doctors, paediatricians and other healthcare experts will visit the school and conduct basic tests on the students to check any kind of health problems.
2. Heart Health
Parents and teachers need to know the signs indicating heart problems amongst the children. Those children with history of such illnesses should be medically guided.
3. Medical Facility
There should be a proper and organized system for emergency medical cases in each and every institution. There should also be facilities like trained staff, first aid centre and emergency medical services.
4. First Aid
Teachers and physical educators along with certain designated employees of the school should receive training in CPR. School may also have facilities like Automated External Defibrillators (AED) with emergency plans.
5. Physical Activities
The school should provide the children with physical activities like yoga, outdoor games and sports. The children should undergo medical examination when required during physical exercises.
Parents Also Need to Be More Alert
Often, it is the parents who become aware of any changes in the way their child is behaving or feeling. Any continuous fatigue, trouble with breathing, dizzy spells, and even fainting or complaining should never be overlooked.
It is also essential that parents should take their kids regularly to the doctor and make sure that their children's health records get to school.
The last thing to remember is not to overload your child with work. Healthy upbringing means proper sleep, good nutrition, exercise, and proper schedule.
Mental Health Is Equally Important
The health of a student goes beyond just physical fitness. Another aspect which needs more focus is the mental health of children. Academic pressure, exam anxiety, peer pressure, bullying and too many expectations from parents can all impact the mental well-being of children.
What schools can do is provide an environment where children feel safe to talk about any worries they have. Counseling sessions, programs on mental well-being and healthy teacher-child relationships can be of much help here.
Government and Educational Institutions Must Work Together
There is a need for a more focused approach towards preventive healthcare in India's schooling education program. The authorities concerned from both governmental organizations and private sectors including schools themselves must take a coordinated effort in giving importance to health of children.
Ayushman Bharat's School Health and Wellness Programme gives us a valuable platform towards health awareness and preventive healthcare among school students.
It is important that schools conduct health awareness programs along with proper medical checkups and coordination with neighboring healthcare facilities.
Education Should Also Mean Protecting Children's Lives
A school is not just an institute wherein the kids study, give exams, score marks, and make their career. A school is also the place where the physical, mental, and social development of the kids takes place.
This particular case of the little boy from Class 3 has to serve as a reminder that the health of the kids cannot be neglected.
Of course, academic brilliance is very crucial, but it should never take away from the health of the kid. Each and every school needs to strive towards making an environment in which the kids are not only educated but also healthy and safe.
The need of the hour is to prioritize the health of the students instead of making it an occasional thing. Because a healthy kid of today will definitely mean a better India of tomorrow.
EducationKhoj.com believes that student health, safety and well-being must remain an integral part of India's education system.
