Parents Encouraged to Place Special Emphasis on Health of Children

As parents prepare for the start of the 2019/2020 academic year, they are being reminded to place special emphasis on their children’s health and wellness.

Medical Officer of Health for St. James, Dr. Marcia Johnson-Campbell, says the annual prescribed medical examination for students is crucial, as it will ensure children are on track for a healthy academic year.

She told JIS News that this medical examination is an excellent tool for catching illnesses that are not routinely checked for, as well as provide an opportunity for doctors to address any emotional, developmental or social concerns that are not observed by parents.

“During these school medical sessions, we do screening for vision, hearing and general examination and sometimes are able to identify persons who have problems with vision or with hearing, physical disability and deformity and we are able to correct and refer them to areas where they can be corrected,” Dr. Johnson-Campbell informed.

“We also do nutritional assessment and are able to intervene where necessary. It also provides the opportunity to enquire a little bit more about what’s happening with our adolescents, how they are coping, or if they are having challenges within the home situation,” she added.

Dr. Johnson-Campbell said the medical screenings also give parents a chance to address important questions or concerns about their developing children, especially toddlers and adolescents.

In the meantime, Dr. Johnson-Campbell noted that thousands of medical examinations are conducted at health centres across St. James.

She further informed that the St. James Health Department has also forged partnerships with a number of organisations to conduct health fairs where free medical checks for back- to-school are performed.

“In St. James, we have been able to offer these examinations within our regular health centres. We have organised special sessions in the health centres and we have collaborated with communities and other organisations to do examinations at their health fairs,” Dr. Johnson-Campbell said.