The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked all recognised government and private schools in the city to deploy doctors and paramedics during school hours to combat emergency cases.
This comes in wake of a PIL filed in the court by lawyer-activists demanding explanation on a schoolboy being hit by a teacher which hurt his eye. The condition of his eye had worsened as no medical aid was provided to him in the school premises. To ensure that students are given medical aid, schools have been asked to hire medical staff within a week. According to Rule 38 of the Delhi School Education Rule 1973, every school is required to appoint a medical officer on part time or full time basis, who should also be assisted by a compounder or dispenser. Delhi government has been asked to ensure that all government and recognised private schools comply with this rule. “The court has rejected government counsel’s argument that schools have been linked with government hospitals and doctors and additional paramedics can’t be provided in the school due to lack of financial resources,” said advocate Ashok Agarwal, who filed the PIL and was fighting the case. He said, “The court was of the opinion that there must be a doctor available during school hours for any emergency in the premises.” Ameeta Wattal, principal of Springdales School and vice-chairman of the National Schools Progressive Alliance, said this is nothing new. “All progressive and recognised schools have to comply with this rule of hiring doctors and nurses for emergency cases. Children’s safety and security has to be the main concern of all schools,” she said. However, nothing has been asserted about playschools or unrecognised schools which have only classes upto 6 standard. “Several reputed private schools have medical rooms which function better than even some Delhi hospitals but majority of the government schools do not even have a first aid box. We will look at the unrecognised schools once recognised schools start complying with this order,” added Agarwal.