SCHOOL CLINIC POLICY

Link to Core Values and Aims

At Ajyal International School we aim to keep your child/children safe and healthy.  We do this by ensuring a secure and caring environment where we foster a sense of physical, mental and emotional well being.

It is important that we comply with the standards and the regulations of the Abu Dhabi Health Authority.

To achieve this we would like to make you aware of the following guidelines and regulations so that you understand how the medical services operate at Ajyal International School.

Facilities and Personnel

There are two well-equipped clinics in the school with one full-time registered nurse. Automated External Defibrillators devices and First Aid kits are available at different locations of the school campus to provide optimal care in case of emergencies.

In case of emergency or illness, the clinic staff will provide parents with a provisional diagnosis; without the availability of diagnostic facilities, it is not possible to make a definitive diagnosis. Additionally, the clinic staff provide health education and vaccination services.

Students’ Personal Records requirements

We will conduct medical examinations of the following students:

• All new students

• All Year 5 students

• All Year 9 students

• All students leaving the school

A personal file is regularly updated for each student where all scheduled vaccinations, annual check-ups (height, weight, BMI, BMI percentile, etc.) and any other visits to the school clinics are recorded. As part of our policy to promote a “Healthy Lifestyle” we also conduct various screening campaigns during the school year (i.e. eye tests, dental check-ups). Parents will be notified  in  advance  about  any  forthcoming  screening  that  your  child  may  be  involved  in. Students’ medical files will be handled confidentially at all times.

Parents are required to submit their child’s Medical Fitness Form, which should be completed by their family Physician or Pediatrician (see attached form).

Parents are required to provide the school with updated vaccination records for their child/children. Vaccinations are usually scheduled twice per academic year.  A notification will be sent to parents

14 days prior to the actual date of vaccination. Parents will be asked to sign a consent form and return  it  to  the  clinic  within  7  days  prior  to  the  date  of  vaccination. Should the parents choose not to have their child/children vaccinated at the school, they are still required to provide an up-to-date copy of their child/children vaccination records and inform the school if a child receives any vaccinations outside the school.

Medical Reports and Medical Alert Forms

A medical report must be submitted to the school where there is any change in health condition or a new medical condition for your child. Changes in certain health conditions may impact on the wellbeing of the student and any treatment given by the clinic.

If your child has a pre-existing condition, the school clinic needs to be notified in advance.  An Emergency Alert Form should be prepared by the school doctor for those students who might experience such medical emergencies as allergies, convulsions, anaphylaxis and diabetic emergencies. Additional members of staff who are in contact with such students will be notified about your child’s pre-existing condition and trained accordingly.

Policy on administering medications to a child

The school clinic has its own supply of medications.  Please see the attached list of medications that are available.

Prior to administering of any medication to a primary school child, parents will be notified and verbal consent will be obtained.  However, in case of emergency, and if parents are not contactable, it will be at the discretion of the school doctor to medicate the child (in such cases as high fever, allergic reactions, injuries, etc.)

Parents of secondary school students will be notified when a student visits the school clinic repeatedly with the same complaint.

Analgesia (pain relief medicine) will not be administered to the same student more than two times a term without parental consent. Students may receive such medications as Paracetamol, Ponstan, Advil, etc. several times during a term if required.

Students are not allowed to carry any medications around the school, except inhalers for asthmatic students.

If a child needs a medication to be administered during school hours, a doctor’s prescription needs to be obtained. Medications should be delivered by the parent/guardian to the clinic and can be collected at the end of the school day or at the end of the prescribed course.  Where a child travels to school by the school transport, medications can be handed over to the Transport Assistant with a copy of the prescription and signed note from the parent/guardian. Medication that needs to be refrigerated at all times must be transported with an ice pack rather than the ice-cubes.  Medications must be sent in their original packaging and should be clearly labeled with the student’s name, required dose, timing and route of administration. If a medication has been administered in the morning, a note should be sent to the clinic. Medications that are dosed twice daily should be administered by parents at home in the morning and after the school hours. All medications will be returned once the course of the prescribed treatment is completed.

For those students who need to receive regular doses of a prescribed medication (i.e. Insulin, Asthma inhalers, Nebulizers, Eye drops), a consent form needs to be completed which specifies name of the prescribed medication, required doses and timings.   The consent form must be updated accordingly in case of any changes.

For children with illnesses such as anaphylaxis, asthma epilepsy or Type 1 diabetes, the emergency medications (such as Epi-pen, Glucagon, Nebulizer solutions, Asthma Inhalers, Diazepam) must be stored in the school clinic. The medication should be carefully labeled with the student’s name, route of administration and a required dose.

Fever

Children with a temperature above 37.7 C should be rested at home. If a child develops a fiver during the school day, parents will be notified to collect their child as soon as possible. Child with the raised temperature will not be sent home on a school bus. Children may return to school if they are afebrile for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medications such as Calpol, Adol, Advil, Ibuprofen, etc.

In case of extremely elevated temperature or if the child has a history of febrile convulsions, the clinic staff will immediately medicate the child and begin sponging or bathing him/her to reduce the intensity of the fever. Parents will be told to come into school immediately.

Contagious illness

The ADHA has clearly documented guidelines for those conditions which require exclusion from the school.   The conditions commonly seen are: Conjunctivitis, Chicken pox, Gastroenteritis, Hand Foot and Mouth Disease.  However, the list is not limited to the above mentioned conditions.

If a student develops vomiting and/or diarrhea, he/she should be seen by a doctor and rest at home for the duration of illness or if necessary admitted to the hospital.

The time period for each condition varies, so we request that a child receives proper care at home as long as it is needed, upon returning to school, a certificate from the attending physician or pediatrician must be provided. If the child returns to school prior to the completion of the recommended isolation time, parents will be requested to take their child home.

Off-campus injuries and recurrent complaints

Injuries incurred after or before school hours and those incurred off the school campus will not be attended to at the school clinic.   Parents will be notified and the recommended action will be advised.

Students often present themselves with the same complaints for several days.   We aim to provide the optimal care, however it is to be noted that we are not a referral center or a walk-in clinic.  Children should be taken to their treating physician.

Communication with parents

Parents will be notified by telephone and/or email. Clinic staff may contact parents if they need to obtain some information about the child or inform child’s parents about administering medication. Parents will be informed immediately if their child is unwell and needs to be collected from the school at the earliest.  We will not put a child who is ill or distressed on a school bus.  The parents must collect their child as a matter of priority.

The school clinic is not designed to provide the comfort and quiet that is needed during an illness.

Clinic staff can be contacted by telephone in case of emergency or email can be sent to the school. Parents may also come and meet the clinic staff at any time.