13 May,2009 11:59 AM IST | | Agencies
Schoolchildren in Maharashtra will soon get health cards as part of the state government's initiative to eradicate common disorders like malnutrition and anaemia among students. "The government is working on the idea of introducing health cards to all schoolchildren," School Education Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said.
The cards will contain information about the health status of students, he added. The card will also contain regular updates of the health of the children from standards 1 to 10 after medical check-up, the minister said. The facility exists in some private schools and the government wants to make it available for all the schools, especially those in rural areas, he said.
Malnutrition and anaemia are common among rural children. If schools keep regular updates of students' health, the problem can be tackled in early stage, Vikhe Patil said. Primary health centres in rural areas can take the responsibility of health check-ups and treatment as per the severity of the disease, the minister said. "We have a large network of health centres in villages and these centres can be attached to every school," he said.
