MINISTER of Health Dr Frank Anthony on Friday launched the Child Health Screening Programme in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) at the Mainstay Health Centre in the Mainstay/Whyaka community.

The programme will guarantee that children undergo preventive check-ups to detect any condition at an early age.

“Every child will be screened at least once during nursery, primary education… some of you are aware that there may be a child in the classroom but not paying attention; but sometimes closer examinations and maybe that child won’t be able to see properly, so part of the programme we will be working with the Ministry of Education to detect some of these issues” Dr Anthony said.

He stated that the programme offers measures that are appropriate for a child’s age and enable the monitoring of their health. Children’s eyes, ears, mouth, and body will be examined as part of the services, according to Dr. Anthony. As soon as a condition is detected, appropriate care and attention can be given.

“This programme will do a lot of good things for our children. We are starting it from the nursery level and by the end of the year we are hoping over 27,000 children at the nursery level will be screened,” Dr Anthony said.

According to Regional Health Officer Dr Ranjeev Singh, every child will have a chance to get a check-up before starting nursery school. He stated that the region will begin screening and he requested parents to assist.

Regional Vice Chairman Humace Oodit commended the Ministry of Health for implementing such programme in the school system. Oodit said that detecting a disease or condition in an early stage can ensure a healthier society. He therefore called on parents to support the programme and to work with the medical officers.

According to Dr. Farrah December, the Ministry of Health will be introducing several child and youth programmes, as she spoke on child health screening. According to her, children leaving the clinic at age five often do not have regular health check-ups. Until they reach adulthood, Dr December said the programme will keep a close eye on a child’s health. It’s an initiative for the well-being of children, involving the Ministries of Health and Education, as well as the Mount Sinai system, she said. The screening aims to identify any emerging alignments. The alignments may not exhibit any symptoms yet, but early detection is crucial for proper treatment, she said.

Attending the launch was Member of Parliament Yvonne Pearson, Prime Minister representative Arnold Adams and Regional Executive Officer Susannah Saywack.