Healthier Punjab: Young doctors recommend health education at schools

‘The subject should be taught till matriculation’.

LAHORE: The Young Doctors Association (YDA) has requested Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to include health education in school curricula.

YDA leader Salman Kazmi has wriiten a letter to the chief minister titled, Introduction of a Subject of Health Education with a Separate Book in Curriculum of the Students in Schools and Appointment of MBBS Doctors and BDS Dental Surgeons at Schools to Start Health Services.

The letter says that the preventive aspect of health care had always been neglected. Despite billions of rupees spent on the curative side, the government has been unable to satisfactorily control diseases. The letter proposed a subject of Health Education, with a proper book and yearly examination, be introduced at primary schools and continued till matriculation. The books should provide information on diseases like dengue fever, hepatitis A, B and C; malaria and gastroenteritis. “The hazards of smoking cigarettes and sheesha should also be included in the book so that students realise the causes of diseases and know how to save themselves from them,” the letter reads.



The letter said a physician and a dental surgeon should be appointed to teach the classes. They should also treat, examine and screen students for major illnesses and refer them to hospitals. This is already a practice in private schools that have hired doctors. The plan would not cost much because grade-17 posts were already vacant in the Education Department. Doctors could thus be appointed without new seats being created, Dr Kamzi suggested.

He said the only cost the government would have to incur would be the printing of books. He said a small booklet on dengue already existed. It could be expanded to include information about other diseases.

The practice exists in several other countries, he wrote. New graduates, after completing house jobs, could be given jobs on yearly contract basis. “We can even have a doctor and a dental surgeon for five schools. Appointing a doctor is necessary to run the programme as no one could replace a doctor, as far as screening and treatment is concerned,” Dr Kazmi wrote, “In five years, we could have a healthier Punjab.”



The government spent billions of rupees trying to create health awareness through newspaper ads. This was a waste of money. A quarter of the amount could be spent on the school health services to produce better results, he wrote. “We request you to direct the departments concerned to implement the proposal. The Young Doctors’ Association will assist the department in implementing it,” the letter reads.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Dr Kazmi said not many doctors would want these jobs on a permanent basis. But, he said, fresh graduates could be given one-year contracts at schools after completing their house job. “There are also many lady doctors who quit the medical profession after getting married. Appointing them in schools would spare them night shifts,” he said. “We assure you of our support in running this programme,” Dr Kazmi wrote.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2013.