LG Murmu launches ‘Health Card’ for J&K students

In a move aimed at improving health and overall wellbeing of over 12 lakh students enrolled in various government schools across J&K, Lieutenant Governor (LG), GC Murmu on Thursday launched “Student Health Card”.

The Cards shall be distributed to all the government schoolsfor maintaining a proper health record of all enrolled students and shallcontain information about immunization record of a child, bi-annual examinationof a child head to toe for 4 Ds to find out defects at birth, deficiencydiseases and developmental delays, check list of all commonly existingdisorders among children and their preliminary diagnostic tools, tabulardescription of periodic health profile matrices and a brief descriptions ofcommonly occurring diseases.

   

The launch ceremony was attended by Rajiv RaiBhatnagar,Advisor to the LG; Hirdesh Kumar, Commissioner Secretary, School Education;Bhupinder Kumar, Mission Director, NHM J&K; Prof VeenaPandita, ChairpersonJKBOSE; Anuradha Gupta, Director School Education, Jammu; ArunManhas, MissionDirector, SamagraShikshaAbhiyan/Mid Day Meal Scheme besides senior governmentofficers, teachers, students and large number of people.

While addressing the gathering, the LG observed that focuson health and education was a nation building strategy. “In fact, the health ofour children is a reflection of our country’s future, especially, as ourinspiring demographic dividend is bound to have a long lasting impact on thefuture social and economic development of our nation,” he said.

The LG said health and education were strongly intertwined –healthy children have improved scholastic achievements as good healthfacilitates children’s physical and mental development and at the same timeeducation contributes to their awareness about being healthy through informedhealth choices and adoption of healthy behaviors.

He said in fact there was an immediate need of shifting fromcurative healthcare approach to preventive healthcare across the board.

“Parents have to be a part of this initiative as they areone of the primary stakeholders, besides, teachers, school managements, and thegovernment. Role of parents is imperative to achieve the goal of well being ofstudents by making children aware about the various diseases such as the mostrecent Coronavirus (COVID-19) and various health choices and behaviors likeWASH (water, sanitation & hygiene),” the LG said.

He said schools were the most effective means of improvingthe education and health status of the students across the country.

“They are ideal social ecosystems that have immenseinfluence on lives of our children. Every day millions of children go toschools and spend a considerable amount of their formative years interactingwith their peers, teachers, role models; gaining knowledge & skills,developing behavioral and social patterns that are retained for life,” said theLG.

Bhatnagar said the initiative would certainly impact livesof many students and government would ensure that the confidentiality ofindividual students was maintained during the process.

Kumar said the distribution of Health Cards and first checkup would be completed by mid May.

Earlier in his welcome address, Manhas said the medicalcheck-up of the students will be done in collaboration with the directorate NHMand digitization of the Cards and related record shall also be consideredgradually.

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