CBSE schools plan tie up with hospitals

NAGPUR: In a good initiative, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has advised affiliated schools to tie up with nearby hospitals so that timely help could be provided to students in case of injuries or diseases. Principals, parents and students of the city have wholeheartedly welcomed this initiative.
Principal of BVM School Beena Gokhale has been working on these lines for over an year."We have tied up with a nearby hospital which has its advantages," she said. "The hospital keeps us informed about any infections or diseases that are prevalent and tells us about the ways to keep children away from ailments. Doctors even hold voluntary health checkups at the school. We didn't have any major incident in the school till now but we are prepared in case something goes wrong. I feel relieved that there is a hospital to take care of the heath of my students," she said.
As children try to imitate stunts on TV and movies, the incidents of injuries in schools have reportedly increased. In such a scenario, principal of Modern School Neeru Kapai welcomed the move. "It's obvious that a student needs to be rushed to a nearby hospital in case of emergencies. A tie up between the school and hospital works really well. I have already taken these precautions in my school because it is a necessity. I take care of students first and then call the parents to inform them," she said. "We also have an in-house medical department to treat minor injuries. But in case of major incidents, we take the children to a nearby hospital."
"Our school is well-equipped with primary treatment facilities," says Shreyas Manohar of Modern School. "Once during a hockey match, a student got grievously injured. The teachers of my school acted promptly and rushed him to a nearby hospital. The situation was tackled in a professional and smooth way. Doctors visit my school every two months to train students in giving first-aid. They teach us how to deal with burns, fits and minor accidents. We learn the techniques quickly because they use rag-dolls to demonstrate the technique. My school is quite serious about the health of students."
Shreyas's mother Dr Tanuja Manohar, who is a lecturer in Lata Mangeshkar Medical College and Hospital, feels that even though such primary first-aid is given by schools, some emergencies are beyond the reach of the staff and students. "As a parent, I feel good that schools and CBSE are taking such a good step. I see a lot of cases where injured students are brought to our hospital for treatment. If schools make even a minor mistake, a student might lose his life. In such situations, a hospital needs to be informed immediately. A tie-up between schools and hospitals will ensure that this happens," she said.
Dr Ramkrishna Shenoi feels that a child's health should be of primary concern for the school. "The student needs to be protected from illness," he said. "Also, In case of an emergency, a child should be given preliminary treatment which can be done only by a qualified doctor in a good hospital. I had a case a couple of days back when a student fell and broke his teeth badly. The school brought him in and we managed to stop the bleeding. Such incidents tend to happen and care needs to be taken to deal with them. Being a parent and a doctor, I compliment the CBSE for taking such a step."