Maharashtra govt plans health cards, regular checkups in schools

The Maharashtra government will soon issue personalised health cards to children studying in government-run and state-aided schools. The government has also developed a dedicated health app to store children’s records after regular check-ups conducted in schools.

The government will also provide further medical treatment to children who show any signs of health troubles during the checkup. The support will be provided through schemes available under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), a central government initiative.

Under the National Health Mission, the scheme targets early detection and treatment of the ‘4Ds’—Defects at birth, Diseases, Deficiencies, and Developmental delays, including disabilities—among children aged 0 to 18.

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Multi-tiered committees will be established to ensure effective implementation of the initiative. Committees at the district and taluka levels will oversee school health check-ups. District committees will plan and manage data, while taluka committees—comprising medical and education officers—will conduct the check-ups on the ground. The schools will be responsible for conducting check-ups at different intervals.

Dedicated medical inspection teams at the taluka level—comprising two medical officers, a doctor, and a nurse—will conduct on-site health check-ups in kindergartens, schools, and ashram-shalas. Children with serious conditions will be referred to advanced medical facilities for further care, as per the program guidelines.

An official from the school education department said, “In rural areas, there are children having health issues such as hearing loss, imperfect vision or vitamin deficiencies, etc., which remain unnoticed. Regular health check-ups in schools will ensure that every child with any illness or physical or other difficulty is identified soon, and required medical support can be provided.”