Pedagogía de los Idiomas Nacionales y Extranjeros

Authors:

Milton Garcia

Samantha Lucero

Academic Tutor:

MSc. Fernanda Sarango

Topic:

How does the school react to a medical emergency among students?

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Abstract
Medical center is one of the primary departments within the institutions, because if there are

accidents in the students and personnel administrative, they need to be treated by experience

people in these cases of accidents, this situation is based on the area of academic organization,

because if there is no medical center in operation students have to be returned to their homes,

which affects the academic process. To carry out this essay observations and interviews were

made to the key actors of the institutions (principal, sub principal, general inspector) the tutor

professional, students and the personnel in charge of the Student Counseling Department (SCD).

The aforementioned persons were a key point to develop our theme. We have made the analysis

of this problem studying documents such as: ‘’Organic Law of Intercultural Education’’ (LOEI),

Constitution of Ecuador and academic articles.

Key words: medical center, department, academic organization.

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INTRODUCTION

In this essay we are talking about the problem of academic organization that deals with

our integrating thread in first semester the Approach of public policy in education and “Buen

Vivir”. We observed that there is a serious situation in the medical area at Herlinda Toral school

where we have done our practicum, because there are accidents within the institution, in which

the students are physically and psychologically affected. They must be returned to their home or

transferred to medical centers, which leads to a low academic performance. Since the K-12 has a

medical department that is not working, which led to the next question: How does the school

react to a medical emergency among students?

In this first semester we carried out the pre-professional practicum at Herlinda Toral

school located on Paseo de los Cañaris and Rio Malacatus streets, in María Reina de la Paz

parish in Totoracocha neighborhood in Cuenca. This pre-professional practicum was during 8

weeks in which we acted professionally. To carry out the Knowledge Integrating Project (K.I.P)

we conducted interviews and surveys to different key actors starting with the school principal,

the general secretary, the person in charge of the Student Counseling Department (SCD), a

professor of Mathematics and an English teacher who is also our professional tutor and a senior

student who is the standard-bearer of the school. All the people interviewed have knowledge

about the Organic Law of Intercultural Education (LOEI) regarding the right of students to a

functioning medical department and, at the same time, to receive help in any emergency that may

arise within the institution. The results obtained were given thanks to charts and diagrams made

to collect information on this subject with the help of surveys and interviews created to get

information about this problem.

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Then, we will explain in more detail the accidents that occurred during the pre-

professional practicum time. We will talk about the protocol follows in an emergency case and

the reactions of the key actors of the institution. Additionally, we will talk about documents that

provide information about medical centers and the importance of having a medical center

working.

1.-Integral security in the student population in Ecuador.

The Ministry of Education made an important advance in the management of risks,

within the educational centers, when issuing the new Comprehensive School Safety Policy

(CSSP) in 2016. It was adopted as a tool for risk prevention and preparation for emergencies.

Designed exclusively for educational contexts.

Torres, (2016) in his book entitled Comprehensive School Safety Policy (CSSP),

mentions that: “The integral security of the student population is a priority for the Ministry of

Education, since the Ecuadorian population attends and stays daily for several hours in an

educational institution. It is important to maintain student safety and avoid accidents, so the

activities developed there must be safe and free of hazards that affect or interrupt the learning

process in students”. (p5)

CSSP in the Ecuadorian Educational System is part of the Constitution of the Republic of

Ecuador, which in Article 44 states that: Girls and boys and adolescents shall have the right to

integral development, understood as a process of growth, maturation and deployment of their

intellect and their capacities, potentialities and aspirations, in a family, school, social and

community environment of affectivity and security. (Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador,

2008, p. 34) The Organic Law of Intercultural Education (LOEI) is also taken into account, in

which we were able to find important articles that cover the research topic of this essay:
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The state must guarantee departments that are in optimal conditions for the use of students in

cases of medical and psychological emergencies at Herlinda Toral school. Currently this school

does not have a functioning medical center or a doctor who operates it. This was because the

government decided that the Ministry of Health does not have to be within the area of the

Ministry of Education; this causes the nearest health centers and public institutions provide their

services in case of emergencies (ECU 911), according (LOEI, 2015, p. 5). Guarantee the

universalization of education in its initial, basic and baccalaureate levels, as well as provide the

physical infrastructure and the necessary equipment for public educational institutions.

The service provided by ECU 911 in the K-12 is an effective and free service, since in

case of medical emergency are those who come to help students, who are trained paramedics in

any situation of risk and disease. Herlinda Toral is located near the UNE-TOTORACOCHA

health center, which is 500 m away; and the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS), located

15 minutes from the school, whereby these institutions provide immediate service to students in

the event of an accident that may arise within the school (LOEI, 2015, p. 12)

Access services and programs of social welfare and comprehensive health.

In the institution campaigns of prevention of pregnancies in adolescents and campaigns

of vaccination are carried out by the Ministry of Health, it was possible to observe that the last

campaign of vaccination took place in the institution on December 11 th,2018, in which people

administered a flu vaccine. This was thanks to the intervention of personnel trained in the area of

medicine. Within the institution, the medicine is not ingested since there is not a working doctor

who knows the type of medication that should be administered to the students, since the teachers

can’t administer the medicine to the students in case of mild pain (stomachache, nausea and

headache).
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2.- The role of the authorities in a medical emergency and the protocol to follow.

Aranzabál (2012) mentions that: “The main mission of the Schools is to educate young

people, but they must also be concerned about their health, since if the students and the academic

staff are not in good health, the mission of educating will not fulfill the fundamental objective of

creating competent students”.

(Cardenas, 2010) mentions that: “The functions of the authorities such as the principal, sub

principal, general inspector within the educational institutions are to plan, evaluate, elaborate

study programs for a good learning, control the academic results and administrative functions in

the schools.”.

One of the primary functions of them is that students maintain a good socio-affective level

among them. That there is no type of aggression as this leads to accidents, which can be serious

and need to be treated by experienced personnel.

The key actors of the school play an important role in the education of the students, since

they are in charge of controlling the educational system of the institution and maintaining the

integrity of the students. Authorities try to avoid accidents within the institution because students

can’t be returned to their homes without the authorization of their legal representative.

Be responsible for the material and equipment assigned to perform their work, monitor

the health of students, conduct medical campaigns in accordance with the instructions of the

authority. Carry out the commissions that the authorities grant him, present to the management

personnel, the reports related to the activities carried out. (Education Secretary, 1981, p. 32).

That is because in case there is a medical emergency within the institution, the protocol to follow

is:
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 The affected student goes to the inspection room or the teacher in charge to take the

necessary measures.

 Call the ECU 911 department to inform about the student's accident.

 The General Inspector calls the legal representative to come to the institution.

 In case of serious accident, the student is transferred to the nearest health center, and the

representative will have to go there.

 In case of an illness, the severity level is measured and the presence of the legal

representative is requested so that the student is returned home, since the student can’t

leave the institution alone.

This protocol could be observed in execution since during the preprofessional

practicums time different accidents were generated among the students where it was possible to

differentiate the roles played by each main actor within the K-12. We will explain the cases that

occurred during the 8 weeks of pre-professional practicum carried out at the Herlinda Toral

school.

3.- The importance of having a medical center working within the schools.

Children and adolescents spend much of their time in school. This is an ideal place to encourage

health habits also, to learn, prepare for the future and interact with other children. At school

health problems arise and many diseases are spread. There are accidents due to game or sports.

Some children have problems with their feelings and emotions and there are students with

chronic illnesses and disabilities. A doctor o nurse is needed at school, they are necessary in

situations that may be urgent, such as epileptic seizures, diabetes, asthma and allergies. They can

act quickly and effectively. In addition, children with chronic illnesses and disabilities should
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receive the medical attention they need during the school day, according (LOEI, 2015, p. 4) The

State guarantees, through various instances, that educational institutions are healthy and safe.

According to the key actors, when the school does not have medical personnel:

 Children with chronic problems go less to class and this becomes a disadvantage

compared to other children.

 Teachers do not know how to face some situations and do not focus on their teaching

work since it is not their professional competence.

 Parents have more work problems because some of them need to leave their work to meet

the needs of the child in the school day because if the child is sick, they must pick the

students up urgently.

In the time of pre-professional practicum, medical emergencies occurred in the school. We will

detail a little about these events:

 November 27 at 9:41 am, an ambulance reached the k-12 because a stray dog entered the

institution and bit a child.

 On the same day at 4:30 p.m., another incident occurred while a student was playing in

the playground he fell and hit himself on the head which caused an injury on his

forehead.

 On November 20 at 12:07 p.m. a student was performing a physical activity and he broke

his wrist.

 On December 18 at 12:15 p.m. while a student was crossing the street to enter the school,

a driver hit him with his car in which the student had injuries on his legs and arm scrapes.
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 We also talked with the person in charge of the SCD. She told us that she suffered a

serious accident 1 year ago inside the institution in which she had fatal consequences in

her right arm, she suffered three fractures, jaw strikes, blood loss and blows on her head.

These accidents at the school show how important is the medical staff and a medical

department that have all the necessary assets for the comfort of the students, to maintain the

integrity and health within the schools.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, we can interpret that the absence of a functioning medical center leads the

authorities of the institution to act on their own based on a protocol jointly with public health

departments. The state decrees articles which will support the normal development of education

and health of the public-school population. Teachers play an important role in the lives of

students as they try to maintain physical and mental integrity by developing a safe school

environment. It is necessary to have a doctor working within public institutions with the

necessary equipment to treat students in case of accidents. Within public institutions there must

be programs that train teachers to provide the first aid in case of emergencies until the respective

personnel arrive. The medical centers within the institutions are very fundamental because it is

possible to prevent diseases and promote health and self-care among all the personnel belonging

to the institution and the students. This problem could be solved if there was an agreement

between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, since the ministries should protect

the integrity of the public-school population.

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REFERENCES

Aranzabál. (2012). ¿Es importante la presentación del Médico Escolar en las Instituciones Educativas?.
Universidad Autonoma de Hidalgo. Obtenido de
https://www.uaeh.edu.mx/scige/boletin/prepa3/n1/e3.html

Cardenas. (2010). Las Funciones del director de un centro educativo. Retrieved from
http://paocarmun.blogspot.com/2010/01/las-funciones-del-director-de-un-centro.html
Constitucion de la Republica del Ecuador. (2008). Retrieved from
https://educacion.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2017/05/Libro1-Politica-Integral-de-
Seguridad-Escolar_SIGR-E.pdf

LOEI. (2015). Retrieved from http://aula.unae.edu.ec/pluginfile.php/82662/mod_resource/content/1/

loei.pdf

Rites, D. T. (2016). Comprehensive School Safety Policy. En D. T. Rites, Comprehensive School Safety
Policy (pág. 52). Quito, Ecuador: Todoprint S.A.

Secretaria de Educacion. (1981). Secretaria de Educacion. Retrieved from

https://www.secolima.gob.mx/doctos/juridico/NORMATECA%20INTERNA%20COMPLETA/
(03)%20NORMAS%20SEP/(22).pdf

TORRES. (2016). Obtenido de

https://educacion.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2017/05/Libro1-Politica-Integral-de-
Seguridad-Escolar_SIGR-E.pdf