SCHOOL HEALTH

SERVICE
Dept. of Community Medicine
Definition
• SHS is the promotive, preventive, curative, and

rehabilitative health care to the school children in order to

promote their health.
 Objectives of SHS
• Promotion of positive health
• Prevention of disease
• Early diagnosis, treatment & follow up of defects
• Awakening health consciousness in children
• Provision of healthful environment.
 Components of SHS
• Comprehensive health care
• Healthful school environment
1. Satisfactory toilet & lavatory
2. Pure water supply
3. Good lighting and ventilation
4. Glare proof black board, ceiling and roof
5. Suitable chairs and desks
6. Rest room and play ground
7. Clean environment
• Health education
Aspects of SHS
• Health appraisal of school children and
school personnel
• Remedial measures and follow up
• Prevention of communicable diseases
• Healthful school environment
• Nutritional services
Aspects of SHS …..
• First aid and emergency care
• Mental health
• Dental health
• Eye health
• Health education
• Education of handicapped students
• Proper maintenance and use of school health
records
 Health appraisal

• Periodic medical exam

• School personnel

• Daily morning inspection :

1. Unusually flashed face
2. Any rash or spots
3. Symptoms of acute cold.
4. Sore throat
5. Coughing and sneezing
6. Rigid neck
Health appraisal
7. Nausea & vomiting
8. Red & watery eye
9. Headache
10. Chills or fever
11. Diarrhoea
12. Pains in the body
13. Scabies or ring worm infection
14. Listlessness or sleepiness
15. Disinclination to play
16. Pediculosis
 Based on the relationship between the desk and the chair, there are 3 types of desks

• Plus desk
• Zero desk
• Minus desk
Plus desk

• There is a gap between the edge of the desk the edge of

the chair
• The disadvantage of this type of arrangement is that the
student has to lean forward to write on the desk
Zero desk

• The edge of the desk is at the same level as that of

the chair
• Minus desk
• The edge of the chair goes inside the edge of the desk
• It is the recommended desk for use in schools
• Advantage – easy to write on the desk, maintenance
of good posture
• Disadvantage – difficult to get up from the chair as the
chair has to be pulled out before the student can stand
Types of School Desks
 Mid-day meal
• It should not be a substitute but a supplement of home
diet
• Prepared by low cost available nutritious food
• Should provide 1/3rd of daily calorie requirement and ½ of
daily protein need.
• Preparation should be easy
• Frequently changed to avoid monotony.
School Health Team
• The personnel's of school health teams
• At the District level:
1. Medical Officer
2. Public health nurse
3. Pharmacist
4. Support staff

• The Chief Medical officer/ Civil Surgeon will have overall

responsibility in directing and controlling the activities
Duties of medical officer
• To plan & conduct training program
• To organize & implement necessary health education
program
• To visit school, hostels, kitchen, eating place, class
rooms, wash rooms etc.
• Periodic physical exam: Introduction and maintenance of
health card
• To organize & operationalize the referral system.
 Duties of medical officer
• To help in control of epidemic at school or in any community
on behalf of school.
• To implement any health program for school children under
Govt./Non-govt initiative; exp. Deworming,vaccination,Vit-A
prophylaxis etc.
• To keep the parents informed about the health status/illness
• To maintain the health records & timely submission.
• To keep good coordination with school health team and
school authority.
School health problems
A. Problems related to health of the students

• Malnutrition
• Communicable diseases
• Helminthic diseases
• Skin diseases
• Eye problems
• Ear problems
• Throat problems
• Accidents and injuries.
Health problems

B. Social and Environmental health problems

Drug abuse
Smoking
Juvenile delinquency
Free mixing
Frustation and depression
Health problems

C. Environmental health problems

Lack of safe drinking water

Inadequate lavatory facilities
Ill-ventilated and overcrowded classrooms
Absence of playground