Kerala’s schools have no emergency response system

There is no need to scramble for the student’s details as all details are available on the ‘Samboorna’ software with a single click. 

KOZHIKODE:  The death of Shehla Serin has brought into focus the question of how equipped is our schools to deal with emergency health situations. Unfortunately, no such system exists wherein a student can get urgent life-saving attendance from a teacher or staff who has undergone scientific training. 

“If a case of snakebite or burns occurs, we administer first aid as any common man does. Nothing more. We have not been given any training by the health department to deal with it scientifically,” says Sumitha Shivanandan, teacher at GVHSS, Thamarassery. “Normally, what we do is rush the student to the nearest hospital without taking any chance and alert parents afterwards,” she said. There is no need to scramble for the student’s details as all details are available on the ‘Samboorna’ software with a single click. 

Rajitha P R, biology teacher at Higher Secondary School, Perambra, says that except for a training session once in a while by the Fire and Rescue Services on how to put out a fire, no such training is being given. At the most, a first-aid kit is kept in schools. 

Nurse’s post at schools
However, there is a provision for schools to opt for any two of the three posts -- an Integrated Education of Disabled (IED) children resource teacher, a nurse and a counsellor, depending on the strength of the school. The majority of the schools goes for the IED teacher and counsellor. “Opting for the IED teacher is to take care of differently-abled children and counsellor in the wake of increasing cases of child abuse. So, normally no school goes for a nurse,” said a teacher in Malappuram.

Dr Shimna Aziz, tutor at the community medicine wing of Manjeri GMC, said the state should set up a healthcare system in all schools. “In foreign countries, approval is not given to schools without such a full-fledged system. If there was such a system at Sarvajana school, Shehla would have been alive now,” she said.

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