The Public Health Department reminds parents and guardians that all students entering government or private schools for the first time in Cayman, are required to have health screenings.
“This must be done before the new school year begins in September,” said School Health Coordinator Joanna Rose-Wright.
The screening consists of obtaining medical and surgical history; assessment of growth and development, screening for vision and hearing; dental assessment and reviewing and administering necessary immunisations.
Public Health offers free screening to all students: For students entering schools in the West Bay and the Eastern Health districts, health screenings will be done at the district health centres starting Tuesday, 1 June 2010. For all other students, health screenings will take place at John Gray and George Hicks medical centre from 6 July to 31 August 2010.
Appointments can be made at the respective schools at the time of registration.
Nurse Rose-Wright reminds parents and guardians that they need to accompany their children to the health screening, and they must bring the child’s immunisation records.
“School health nurses will offer necessary vaccines for children whose immunisations are not up to date, and then issue a health-screening certificate, which is to be taken to the child’s school,” she explained.
Health screenings can also be done by private doctors, who will complete the school health screening forms provided by the Public Health Department.
Parents who take their children to private doctors should hand in the completed health screening records to John Gray’s medical centre any time from 6 July to 31 August, between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm. Records completed by a private physician before or after these dates, can be dropped off at the Cayman Islands Hospital’s Public Health Clinic.
Once the record has been received, a health screening certificate will be issued which then must be taken to the school that the child is entering.
In Cayman Brac, appointments for school entry screening can be made by contacting Public Health Nurse Nelsie Jones at Faith Hospital on 948-2243
Detailed information sheets for parents and guardians are available at the schools. For more information, please contact Nurse Rose-Wright at 244-2734 or 244-2648, or John Gray’s medical centre at 949-2501.
