(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Private schools in Dubai with up to 1,500 students will be required to employ a full-time doctor as part of the Dubai Health Authority's (DHA) updated policy on school health. This replaces the earlier requirement of appointing one full-time nurse and a part-time doctor for schools with up to 1,000 students.
The DHA's new comprehensive set of health regulations are applicable to 163 private schools in Dubai, including schools in free zones.
Schools with students between 1,501 to 3,500 will be required to deploy two part-time doctors or one full-time doctor. Similarly, schools with 3,501 to 10,000 students will be required to appoint two full-time doctors or one full-time or two part-time doctors. Schools with above 10,001 students need three full-time doctors or two full-time and two part-time doctors.
"The School Clinic Regulation policy was developed by the DHA's health regulation department in collaboration with subject matter experts. Through the development, establishment and enforcement of minimum required criteria for school clinic services, our aim is to ensure that students in Dubai have access to high quality healthcare," explained Dr Layla Al Marzouqi, Acting-Director of DHA's health regulation department.
The school clinic policy was first introduced in 2011 and all schools were also asked to turn their clinics into Vaccine Qualified Clinics (VCQs) and school nurses would be required to administer the vaccines instead of DHA nurses.
Presently the 163 schools in Dubai have 166 doctors and 344 school nurses.
Dr Layla added that while the department already has school health regulations in place, the updated regulation policy is much more comprehensive and covers everything from school clinic design and staff to emergency care.
"The regulations are extremely comprehensive and provide details such as specifications for school clinic design, maximum number of students each clinic can cater to, school clinic licensing requirements, student's right to confidentiality and privacy, maintenance of student records, ensuring that the school record of children with allergies and other drug reactions is clearly highlighted."
She added that the regulations also specify how schools will deal with health emergencies. For example, all school clinics should be equipped with appropriate medical equipment, supplies and pharmacological agents which are required in order to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other emergency services.
Al Marzouqi said that schools in Dubai also have to maintain every student's health record for five years after the student turns 18, or for five years after the student leaves school, whichever is earlier.
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