School Health Service (SHS)

Today is our topic of discussion School Health Service (SHS)

School Health Service (SHS)

Definition:

It is the way of providing preventive, promotive and curative services to the school students in order to equip them with the knowledge, skill and aptitude for healthy lifestyle as a step towards achieving the goal of ‘Health for All’.

Objective of SHS:

1. The promotion of positive health. 2. The prevention of diseases.
2. Early diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of defects or illnesses.
3. Awakening health consciousness in children. 
4. The provision of healthful environment.

Components of SHS:

3. Screening of school children – It includes those with any observational deviation from norms and other cases referred by parents and school teachers.
4. Healthful school environment – It includes satisfactory toilet and lavatory facilities, pure water supply, good lighting and ventilation, glare-proof black boards, suitable chairs and desks, rest room and playground, clean environment etc.
5. Location – The school should be located in a place away from busy area and free from any hazards.
6. Control of communicable diseases – This include early detection of communicable diseases among the school children and enforcement of measures to check the spread to other students and immunization of those children who have not been protected against the vaccine preventable diseases.
7. Nutrition or school lunch service
8. Special surveys – It includes epidemiological surveys regarding growth and development, intestinal worms, anaemia, tuberculosis etc. which should be conducted from time to time.
9. First aid service
10. Education and instruction about heath and healthful living.

Common ailments of school children:

1. Problems related to the health of the students:
2. Malnutrition – Both undernutrition and overnutrition bu
3. Ocular problems – Defective vision, conjunctivitis 
4. Dental problem – Caries teeth
5. ENT problems – Otitis media, tonsillitis, sore throat etc.
6. Communicable disease – Diarrhoea, dysentery, enteric fever, scabies, ringworm, chicken pox. mumps, measles etc. 
7. Helminthic diseases – Ascariasis, ankylostomiasis, enterobiasis etc
8. Environmental health problems:
9. Lack of pure drinking water. 
10. Lack of adequate sanitary facilities.
11. Over-crowded class room.
12. Absence of play ground   
13. Drug abuse including smoking

Importance of SHS:

1. Awakening health consciousness in school children. 
2. Early diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of defects or illnesses.
3. The prevention and control of communicable diseases among the students.
4. The promotion of positive health among the students.
5. It is important in order to make them capable physically, mentally, socially and spiritually, for entry into adulthood as a step towards achieving the goal of ‘Health for All’.

See also :

• The State Medical Faculty of Bangladesh (SMF)