MBBS Interns, PG medicos to now conduct regular health check-ups of school children under PM POSHAN Scheme

New Delhi: In a major step toward health development at schools and at the same time providing practice exposure to medical students, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has directed MBBS interns and PG medicos to conduct regular health check-ups of school children across the country under the PM POSHAN scheme.

In a letter addressed to Deans and Principals of all medical colleges, the Deputy Secretary at the NMC, Dr Ashish Kumar Panda has asked the authorities "to depute Interns and PG students of medical colleges to do the health checkup of School Children, whenever requested by the concerned State /UT Govt authorities."

The NMC Deputy Secretary has forwarded the said directive as approved by the Chairman of the NMC to the Additional Chief Secretaries (ACS), Principal Secretaries of all states and UTs in the country on 16th July.

This comes after the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had recently reviewed the Education and Skill Development and one of the points being noted with respect to School Education and Literacy under the heading "Implementation of National Education Policy" was that regular health check-ups and screening for children in schools should be carried out.

It observed that "technology should be leveraged for this purpose. Students of medical and nursing colleges can be associated."

For this, the apex medical regulator has issued an order asking all medical colleges to depute their MBBS interns and PG medical students to conduct health check-ups at schools.

Besides, complying with the communique received from the Education Ministry, the concerned officers have also been directed to take necessary action to associate students of medical and nursing colleges in the matter suggested by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

On 27 June, Anita Karwal, Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education, wrote a letter to Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan stating: "It has been decided that Students of medical and nursing colleges can be associated for ensuring health check-ups in the schools. The medical and nursing students are a good technical resource to be associated with the scheme. You are, therefore, requested to instruct the concerned Officers to take necessary action to associate the medical and nursing students in the matter suggested by PMO."

Ensuring all tech help if needed for the cause, the Ministry further stated:

"If there are any existing technology options available with the Ministry for ensuring regular health checkups/screening of children, they may be informed to us. If there are no such options, it is requested that M/oHFW help in developing the age-wise parameters for health and fitness screening so that we may develop an App."

The Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) earlier known as the mid-day meal scheme is one of the flagship programmes of the Government of India which covers about 11.80 crore children studying in schools. The health check-ups of these students are being carried out in convergence with the ministry of health and family welfare under a programme named Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK). Apart from the health check-ups, deworming medicine and IFA medicine are also provided by the ministry.

From the Ministry of Education, the nodal person for taking the initiative forward shall be Shri Vijay Bhaskar, Director (PM POSHAN), and Ms Deep Anand, DS(PM POSHAN), the concerned authorities, as well, have been asked to appoint a nodal person, not below the level of Director.

To view the NMC notification, click here:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/20220718054114-1-181350.pdf