Health screening held at Savithri Vidyalaya Higher Secondary School in Tiruchi.

| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Tiruchi Corporation has launched a health screening programme for students studying in government and government-aided schools under the Central government’s Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK).The initiative, which commenced on July 27, is aimed at ensuring early detection and timely intervention for health conditions among schoolchildren.As part of the programme, students undergo general health check-ups to identify conditions such as skin ailments, vision impairment, dental problems, anaemia and cardiac disorders. The Corporation has prioritised the screening of Classes 10 and 12 students to complete the exercise well before they begin preparations for their public examinations, thereby avoiding any disruption later in the academic year.At present, the civic body is focusing on screening 45,052 students studying in 33 government and aided schools, with the target of completing the exercise by the end of August. Overall, there are 201 schools with around 74,000 students within the city limits.To accelerate the campaign, the Corporation has deployed all 24 RBSK mobile health teams, including 22 teams from rural areas and two from the city. Each team comprises a medical officer, staff nurse and pharmacist, and is visiting government and aided schools across the city to conduct health screenings. On average, each team screens nearly 100 students per day.Students identified with disabilities, deficiencies, diseases or developmental delays are referred to the nearest Urban Primary Health Centre, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) or the District Early Intervention Centre for detailed evaluation and treatment.A senior Corporation official said that around 500 students identified with various health concerns during the screening had been referred to health centres for further evaluation.Following the completion of health screening in schools, the remaining students as well as anganwadi children will also be covered under the programme. Published - July 29, 2026 07:12 pm IST