Mumbai: Over 7,000 students of government-run ashram schools in Palghar were screened for illness and infections as a part of Child Help Foundation’s ‘School Health Programme’. This initiative aims to support the students and their families with proper health care, mental health and awareness creation regarding the same.
Child Help Foundation (CHF), a pan India non-profit organisation, started a School Health Programme in May 2023 with a mission to reach out to every single student in 10 government-run ashram schools in Vikramgad Taluka of Palghar district in Maharashtra as a part of its CSR implementation projects.
Under this programme, CHF conducted health screening for students in 10 government-run ashram schools of this Taluka that are predominantly tribal. During the screening camp, the volunteers of the NGO found that there is a high incidence of undernourishment in this area and the children are identified with a poor nutritional status and many other illnesses, infections and medical conditions.
Shaji Varghese, CEO of Child Help Foundation, said “Undernourishment has become a big concern in rural India. An imbalance of nutrients can cause a multitude of diseases in children, which in turn can harm their academic performance and prospects. We aim to provide healthcare to these children, so they can fully focus on their studies without having to worry about their health”.
Around 7,110 students were tested for their health conditions until March 20. The program also helps to cure children of seasonal and other morbidities such as leucorrhoea, dysmenorrhea, scabies, irregular menses, diarrhoea and among others. These students are also provided with health scores and are given free medicines according to their physical health conditions.
A Health Information System (HIS) has been set up by the CHF for each school, which tracks and monitors the health of the students, particularly those who are more vulnerable and informs the parents about its criteria concerning their health.
The NGO has also appointed full-time counsellors to identify the more indigent kids and counsel them and their parents to prevent self-destructive behaviour.
Rajput Rane, headmaster of the Arvind Ashram School, Dadade, said, “With the help of the School Health Program, the number of children falling ill has reduced and we don’t have to take them to hospital anymore. The School Health Program team comes to our school every Thursday and does the health screening and other activities such as awareness sessions for students, individual counselling and other wellness activities.”
