CHILDREN in several communities across Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), received free health screening from the Ministry of Health and the regional health department on Saturday.

Parents gathered as early as 8:00 a.m. with their children. Services available were screening for hearing, vision, dental exam, and complete physical examination.

The children were screened in a child-friendly environment at the Anna Regina, Essequibo car park. The screening was available to nursery school children with the primary aim of detecting if a child is suffering from any illness before entering the school system.

According to Regional Health Officer Dr Ranjeev Singh, the drive was held to encourage parents who have children entering the school system to get screening.

He said that child health screening enables health professionals to detect whether a child is suffering from any ailment at an early age.

After screening, referrals will be made to public hospitals for any detected illnesses.

“Sometimes a child is a slow learner and we don’t know why, so with the screening at least the parents can know what is happening and have it rectified at an early age,” Dr Singh said.

Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony in August launched the Child Health Screening in the region. He said that the screening will ensure that children undergo preventative check-ups so that if they are suffering from any conditions, they can be detected. He said the programme ensures that a child’s health can be monitored and the necessary attention can be given.

Parents were very thankful for such intervention by the Ministry of Health. Children who underwent screening received goodies at the end of the screening.