Thursday, Oct 03, 2013
Dubai: A mandatory training programme in first-aid and emergency care for doctors and nurses from private schools in Dubai has been announced by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).
In addition to the programme, vaccinations were on the agenda during a meeting in the last week of September between the Authority and private schools representatives.
Also announced was a new requirement — health providers that want to provide health education at schools must seek permission from the Authority’s Health Regulation Department.
Schools tend to be places where children become ill. Improving health and hygiene standards in school clinics and among children will lead to a lower disease burden, reduced absenteeism and instil positive habits at a young age. With this belief in mind, the DHA Health Regulation Department in cooperation with Dubai Police met with 160 representatives from private schools in Dubai. The annual meeting provided schools with an overview of school health policies and discussed the latest standards required for school health clinics for the academic year.
The DHA introduced ‘Paediatric-up-to-date programme’, which is a mandatory training programme in collaboration with senior paediatricians from Latifa Hospital. Doctors and nurses from private schools in Dubai will undergo the training on school health emergencies. The programme will also address diagnosis, treatment, referral procedure and follow-up of diseases.
Speaking to Gulf News, Amal Ali Al Mehrezi, Head of School Health at the Authority, said, “Children are the most receptive, yet vulnerable section of society. By ensuring their health, we are ensuring our future. In the programme, we are going to train medical staff on basic life support, first aid, and on how to handle health conditions like food or insect allergy reactions, asthma, diabetes, etc. The training will look into different kinds of care required in a school setting.”
In a media statement, Dr Ramadan Ebrahim, Director of Regulation at the Authority, told the schools to ensure that every pupil is up-to-date with their vaccinations. “While it is mandatory for all schools to provide vaccination services, parents have an option to either get their children vaccinated at the school clinics or through private/government health clinics.”
He added, healthcare providers who want to provide health education in schools need the requisite permission so the Authority can ensure that providers are licensed.
In addition, the Authority will continue to conduct regular inspection across school clinics to ensure they provide the highest level of medical care to students.
By Carolina DSouza Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
