Health department to intensify school health programme
JOBURG - The Gauteng Department of Health is planning to intensify its school health programme this year.
The programme is set to screen pupils for conditions that undermine their learning, such as TB, oral health, eye care and hearing and speech difficulties.
In a statement, Health MEC Hope Papo said, “This is one of the department’s initiatives to strengthen primary healthcare and to ensure that preventable health factors that undermine the pupils’ learning processes are eliminated. This way, no pupils will drop out of school due to sickness.”
MEC Papo added that parents must sign consent forms sent with pupils to their homes before the visits from the Department of Health, so that the pupils do not miss out on vital immunisations.
According to the department, 61 school health teams screened 57 095 pupils in 2013; 6 347 of these pupils were referred to local clinics and hospitals for further treatment.
“In making primary healthcare even more accessible, 26 out of 32 community health centres now provide 24-hour services. Of the province’s 317 clinics, 112 have extended hours of operation, they now close at 6pm.”
