Paying attention to and caring for students' health.

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - Organizing regular health check-ups for students; maintaining good hygiene in schools, classrooms, equipment, and toys; ensuring food safety in school lunch programs... these are the requirements of the provincial education sector for schools to ensure the health of students in the school environment, helping them to study and train well.

The kitchen equipment at Lang Chanh Town Kindergarten 2 (Lang Chanh) is well-invested and ensures the safety of every meal for the children.

According to health experts, regular health check-ups are the best way to protect the health and quality of life of each student. This activity helps students and parents monitor their children's health, thereby building a reasonable nutritional plan and providing advice to ensure that their studies do not negatively impact their health. Regular health check-ups also contribute to the early detection of infectious diseases (if any), helping students learn how to prevent and avoid cross-infection. With this in mind, every year, schools in the province plan to coordinate with health agencies and hospitals to organize regular health check-ups for students; provide health education and counseling to staff, teachers, and students with diverse content such as promoting handwashing with soap; adolescent reproductive health care; and strictly implementing school hygiene to protect students' health.

Along with promoting the nurturing and education of children, for many years, Hoang Phong Kindergarten (Hoang Hoa district) has always paid attention to the good work of caring for and managing the health of students and preventing and controlling diseases in the school. Ms. Ta Thi Cuc, Principal of Hoang Phong Kindergarten, shared: With over 420 students, 100% of them eat lunch at the school, therefore, in addition to the nurturing and education of children, disease prevention and control is a special concern of the school. Besides regularly cleaning the school and classrooms, disinfecting equipment, toys, and lunch supplies to ensure safety and prevent the spread of disease, the school also proactively coordinates with the commune health station to conduct periodic health check-ups for students such as measuring height and weight; checking ears, nose, throat, and teeth; and organizing vaccinations according to regulations. Through these activities, the school identifies students with health problems such as tooth decay, respiratory illnesses, etc., and then provides advice and coordinates with families to ensure timely treatment for the children.

According to Ms. Cúc, as a school providing lunch services, the school pays special attention to this aspect, from food selection and preparation to the nutritional value of each meal. This task is not simply about protecting the health and safety of children; it is also a responsibility that demonstrates the school's credibility with students, parents, and the wider community.

Not only at Hoang Phong Kindergarten, but also at many other schools in the province such as Lang Chanh 2 Town Kindergarten (Lang Chanh); Hoang Luu Primary School (Hoang Hoa); Minh Khai Secondary School ( Thanh Hoa City)... the work of caring for and managing students' health is also given priority by the schools. According to Ms. Le Thi Thuy, Deputy Principal of Hoang Luu Primary School (Hoang Hoa), in addition to coordinating with the commune health station, in the last two school years the school has also coordinated with Hai Tien General Hospital to conduct periodic health check-ups for all students. Through health check-ups, the school understands the health status of students, detects early some common school-related illnesses such as refractive errors, oral diseases,... and even congenital heart disease, thereby prioritizing certain needs for the students. At the same time, they inform students' families so that parents know how to properly care for their children's health.

The achievements resulting from the attention of relevant authorities and the efforts of schools in student health care over the past period are commendable. However, practical experience also shows that the issue of caring for and protecting students' health still has many limitations and shortcomings. Of particular note is the shortage of dedicated school health staff. According to statistics from the Department of Education and Training, currently, 100% of schools in the province have health staff, but they are mostly part-time. Of more than 2,000 schools at all levels, only about 10% have health staff with at least a medical diploma, while the rest are accountants, treasurers, or teachers who perform this duty in addition to their other responsibilities. Due to this part-time role, many are still hesitant in implementing their duties and have not been able to effectively advise school leaders on school health care and student health care.

Schools are crowded places, making them ideal breeding grounds for infectious diseases if preventive measures and health monitoring of students are not thoroughly implemented. According to health authorities, early detection of common illnesses among students is crucial, enabling better collaboration between families and schools in caring for children. Currently, obesity, malnutrition, refractive errors, dental problems, musculoskeletal disorders, respiratory illnesses, and mental disorders are significantly impacting students' health. Therefore, school health services and regular health checkups for students should be given due importance. Each school should have a dedicated health officer, and the school health room should be fully equipped with medical equipment and medications to ensure students receive the best possible care and protection. In addition, each family needs to actively cooperate with the school to monitor students' health, detect, examine, advise, and treat illnesses promptly in order to ensure their health and create conditions for their holistic development, both physically and mentally.

Text and photos: Phong Sac

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/quan-tam-cham-care-health-students-246430.htm