Doctor calls for better health steps in schools

Chronically ill school-going children should have wrist tags to identify their symptoms so that teachers can act swiftly if the child falls ill in class, a paediatric specialist said. \"A teacher should know how to deal with a diabetic child who becomes hypoglycaemic [blood sugar levels falling drastically] or an epileptic,\" said Dr Sami George, a children\'s doctor at the Canadian Specialist Hospital. He said teachers should be trained to spot health problems in children. \"Why is a child not doing well in school or why is she always sleepy in class?\" he said and added children\'s studies often suffer because of vision or hearing problems. He added: \"The most important thing you can teach your child is to wash their hands before eating.\" The specialist said a child\'s health begins at home. \"I know children who are up until 2am and then go to school,\" he said, adding: \"Mothers should give their children nutritious food which is good for the body and brain, not junk food.\" Immediate treatment All schools should have a full-time doctor who can treat a sick child immediately. \"It is required by law that the doctor should be on the premises, not visiting for a couple of hours every day. It is unacceptable that the school clinic should be run by a nurse,\" he said. The specialist urged parents to give their children flu shots, especially kids up to five years old. \"It is cheap [about Dh30] and it protects your child,\" he said. \"Every year there is a new flu drug\" to deal with the constant mutation of the flu virus.