Many schools in the capital city are struggling to overcome skills andinfrastructure shortages to deliver quality student health care, aheadache especially for private kindergartens.
Hanoi has more than 2,300 schools ranging from kindergartens tocontinuing education centres with more than 1.3 million students. Morethan 1,700 schools, or 73 percent, are reported to have health rooms.
Deputy director of the Long Bien district Office ofEducation and Training Hoang Kim Phuong said few private kindergartensin her district had health rooms or simple health equipment. "We ask thewards' health centres in the district to support these schools.However, it will still be dangerous if students have serious illness,"she said.
Nguyen Thuy Thuan, principal of the TrungHoa Kindergarten in Cau Giay district, said some schools asked veteranteachers to act as medical workers while specialised medical workerswere needed in kindergartens to administer treatments.
Nguyen Minh Hai, an expert of the city's Department of Health, saidthe quality of school medical staff was still low. Most were physiciansand nurses, and only some foreign-invested schools had doctors.
Hai also stated that many school medical workers thought their dutywas only to take care of sick students, but in fact their positions alsoencompassed the responsibility to inspect classroom lights, schoolhygiene and kitchens and advise the school management board on how toensure healthy students.
So far, the Ministry ofHealth and the Ministry of Education and Training have been short ofrules on ensuring the qualifications of school medical staff. It is alsobelieved that the salary and allowances for medical workers were so lowit was difficult for schools to attract qualified professionals toschools, said Hai.
Aside from schools, districthealth centres are also feeling the pinch from the doctors shortage. Butmore importantly, school doctors have been so overwhelmed withimmediate health related problems that they have been unable to fulfilloutside duties.
In a bid to improve the situation,the municipal health sector is looking to partner with the Department ofEducation and Training to hold training classes for school medicalworkers.
"The department will also issue documentsasking private kindergartens to join with local health centres toconduct student health care procedures," said Hai.
Education on the care of children will also be expanded to include teachers, students and parents.
The city health sector will trial a pilot model in optical and dentaldiseases and assign specialist medical workers to take part in trainingcourses and conferences to share knowledge and raise awareness.
The health and education sectors will also be working to strengthentheir inspection of school health care including food safety, dental andoptical care, and first aid capabilities.
AssociateProfessor Nguyen Dac Phu, director of the Ministry of Health'sDepartment of Preventive Medicines, said the ministry would issueregulations on school medical worker qualifications. The regulation willneed consensus from relevant bodies.-VNA
Hanoi has more than 2,300 schools ranging from kindergartens tocontinuing education centres with more than 1.3 million students. Morethan 1,700 schools, or 73 percent, are reported to have health rooms.
Deputy director of the Long Bien district Office ofEducation and Training Hoang Kim Phuong said few private kindergartensin her district had health rooms or simple health equipment. "We ask thewards' health centres in the district to support these schools.However, it will still be dangerous if students have serious illness,"she said.
Nguyen Thuy Thuan, principal of the TrungHoa Kindergarten in Cau Giay district, said some schools asked veteranteachers to act as medical workers while specialised medical workerswere needed in kindergartens to administer treatments.
Nguyen Minh Hai, an expert of the city's Department of Health, saidthe quality of school medical staff was still low. Most were physiciansand nurses, and only some foreign-invested schools had doctors.
Hai also stated that many school medical workers thought their dutywas only to take care of sick students, but in fact their positions alsoencompassed the responsibility to inspect classroom lights, schoolhygiene and kitchens and advise the school management board on how toensure healthy students.
So far, the Ministry ofHealth and the Ministry of Education and Training have been short ofrules on ensuring the qualifications of school medical staff. It is alsobelieved that the salary and allowances for medical workers were so lowit was difficult for schools to attract qualified professionals toschools, said Hai.
Aside from schools, districthealth centres are also feeling the pinch from the doctors shortage. Butmore importantly, school doctors have been so overwhelmed withimmediate health related problems that they have been unable to fulfilloutside duties.
In a bid to improve the situation,the municipal health sector is looking to partner with the Department ofEducation and Training to hold training classes for school medicalworkers.
"The department will also issue documentsasking private kindergartens to join with local health centres toconduct student health care procedures," said Hai.
Education on the care of children will also be expanded to include teachers, students and parents.
The city health sector will trial a pilot model in optical and dentaldiseases and assign specialist medical workers to take part in trainingcourses and conferences to share knowledge and raise awareness.
The health and education sectors will also be working to strengthentheir inspection of school health care including food safety, dental andoptical care, and first aid capabilities.
AssociateProfessor Nguyen Dac Phu, director of the Ministry of Health'sDepartment of Preventive Medicines, said the ministry would issueregulations on school medical worker qualifications. The regulation willneed consensus from relevant bodies.-VNA
