11/6/24, 5:00 PM Schools to establish medical facilities following HC directive - Times of India
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Schools to establish medic al facilities followi ng HC
directi ve
Nov 5, 2024, 12.18 AM 1ST
Mumbai: The school education department has issued
comprehensiv e guidelines for educational institutions to establish
essential medical facilities on their premises.
The directives include appointing a coordinator, setting up first-
aid rooms, organising medical camps, and maintaining lists of
emergency services and nearby hospitals.
These guidelines were issued following Bombay high court's
directions while addressing a petition by Surekha Sonawane,
mother of Tejaswini (19), a Thakur Polytechnic College student.
The petition stated, "On Feb 22, 2016, around 11 am, Tejaswini
collapsed in class, hit her head against a bench and was
unconscious."
She was transported from the sixth floor and taken to two hospitals before her death. The mother claimed
institutional negligence contributed to her daughter's death.
The new regulations acknowledge that students spend significant time in schools and require immediate
medical attention when needed. Educational institutions must maintain first aid supplies and dedicated sick
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11/6/24, 5:00 PM Schools to establish medical facilities following HC directive - Times of India
rooms.
Schools must conduct annual CPR training sessions and medical camps for students and staff.
The guidelines mandate schools to display emergency contact information for ambulances and nearby hospitals.
A designated coordinator will handle medical emergencies, and institutions must establish formal agreements
with local private hospitals. Schools must also arrange transportation for medical emergencies.
The guidelines emphasise principals, teachers, staff, and fellow students to be alert with regard to providing
immediate medical aid on campuses.
The Deputy Director of Education will oversee monthly reviews of these medical facilities. Schools must submit
bi-annual reports on their emergency preparedness in January and July.
Currently, many non-state board schools in Mumbai have established partnerships with private hospitals and
employ nurses. State board schools typically maintain basic first aid supplies but rely on parents during medical
emergencies.
Recent incidents highlight the importance of these guidelines. In August, an eight-year-old student experienced
an epileptic seizure during PT class in Kandivali East. Despite being taken to two hospitals, the child did not
survive.
In March, a third-grade ICSE school student in Mazgaon suffered 15% burns after falling on spilled hot oil in the
assembly hall during lunch break.
Last June, a 14-year-old special needs student died after being retrieved from a swimming pool at a Goregaon
school. The family reported that two hospitals denied admission despite his critical condition.
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