All primary and secondary schools in Shenzhen will fully implement the “Healthy Campus Action Plan” starting this year, which has been initiated to further safeguard students’ health in a comprehensive way, the Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission said in a press release yesterday.
According to a notice jointly released by the health authority and the Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau, it is proposed that all primary and secondary schools in the city carry out the plan to improve the health of their students, and prevent and control infectious diseases and common diseases on the campus.
A highlight of the plan is the introduction of community health services at schools, according to the health commission.
Schools will strengthen cooperation with community health institutions to boost health care education, the prevention and control of seasonal infectious diseases and common diseases among students, as well as health checkups.
Meanwhile, primary and secondary schools with a lot of teachers and students will explore setting up community health service stations that are responsible for assisting school doctors in providing medical treatment, health education, sports rehabilitation and other services for teachers and students.
Luohu Hospital Group has been conducting the pilot project in 10 schools in Luohu District since September and has appointed general practitioners (GP) from community clinics to the selected schools.
“Compared with the work in the community health center, the work in the school is more complicated. But as we are more professional in dealing with emergencies, we have a greater sense of achievement,” said Ye Yanqiu, a GP appointed to the infirmary of the Affiliated School of Luohu Education Institute.
In addition to routine campus environmental inspections, return visits, sick leaves and epidemic reports, Ye is also responsible for the school’s health education, eye health care and the establishment of dynamic health files for teachers and students.
The notice also specifies the continuous implementation of an array of health projects for students, including the myopia prevention and control project, free scoliosis screening for primary and secondary school students, free pit and fissure sealing for second graders, the nutritional and health intervention project, and the tuberculosis prevention and control project.
It is proposed that giving a free chickenpox vaccine to school-age children, emergency inoculations of the chickenpox vaccine and free influenza vaccines for eligible students should be firmly implemented.