XN000022-1996-09-05 — Page 2

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Student Health Service extended to secondary schools

The Student Health Service provided by the Department of Health has been extended to all secondary day schools students this academic year.

The service, introduced last year, aims to promote the physical and psychological health of school children.

A spokesman for the department said: "With the full implementation of the Student Health Service, all primary and secondary day school students are now entitled to receive a comprehensive range of promotive and preventive health services annually.

"Each enrolled student will be given an annual appointment to attend a Student Health Service Centre for health programmes designed to cater for the health needs at various stages of the student's development," he said.

"These programmes include physical examination, screening for health problems related to growth, nutrition, blood pressure, vision, hearing, posture, sexual development and psychological health; individual counselling and health education.

"Students found to have health problems will be referred to the Special Assessment Centre (SAC) for detailed assessment and follow-up or to the appropriate specialist clinics for further management."

Invitation letters are being sent to parents of all primary and secondary day school students.

Those who wish to enrol should complete and return the enrolment form through their schools. Appointment letters stating the scheduled date of health visit will be sent to students in due course.

There are now a total of 11 student health service centres and two special assessment centres serving a target population of some 920,000 primary and secondary school students.

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