Under the programme, a team of doctors will carry out health check–ups of primary and middle school students every month

Chandigarh: To reduce morbidity among school children and keep a close watch on their health, Punjab government has launched the School Health Programme.

"Under the programme, the school health teams will carry out medical check–up of primary and middle school students for various ailments along with their treatment through referral services," Education Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka said.

The special teams will also impart health education to the school children and teachers, he added.

To make the programme a success, the government has issued instructions to all the field education officers to maintain health registers in all the schools which will be valid for five years and nominate nodal officers for each school for monthly health checkup of students.

The health programme has been launched under the Sarv Sikhsha Abhiyaan in association with the state Health Department.

The District and Block Education Officers and school heads will ensure monthly visits of medical officers in the schools for check–up of over 20 lakh students, the minister added.

Besides, the government has also launched an intensive dental health care programme to provide total oral health coverage to all school–going children in the age group of 6–12 through fully equipped mobile dental clinic vans.