UP: Yogi govt issues guidelines to council schools to prevent spread of communicable diseases

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 22 : With the aim of protecting schoolchildren from communicable diseases, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has issued guidelines to encourage students of council schools to wear full pants and shirts in order to avoid the spread of diseases, an official statement said on Friday. 
The government has also directed the school authorities to adopt measures to avoid waterlogging within the premises and that fogging should be conducted to curb mosquitoes. 
Furthermore, students should receive education on disease prevention methods such as those related to dengue, malaria, and chikungunya through nodal teachers, the Yogi government said. 
In this regard, Dr Mahendra Dev, the Director of Basic Education, has issued a letter to all District Basic Education Officers on the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi.
The letter emphasizes that the Basic Education Department should also play an active role in the communicable disease control campaign starting on October 3.
Activities regarding awareness about communicable diseases should be organized in council schools and private schools.
The letter also emphasized the importance of adhering strictly to these instructions.
In accordance with the letter, students attending council schools should be directed to wear full pants and shirts as a preventive measure against mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria.
Furthermore, the letter emphasizes the need for schools to promptly notify the Primary Health Center (PHC) if a significant number of students experience fever, facilitating timely medical examinations and appropriate treatment by a doctor.
In order to effectively control and prevent communicable diseases, such as malaria and dengue, it is necessary to make complete arrangements for cleanliness within the premises of council schools along with surrounding areas.
Diseases like dengue and malaria are often caused by waterlogging, so it is vital to take specific care to avoid waterlogging within the school premises and its surroundings. It should be ensured to prevent accumulation of water in saplings planted in pots, tyres, poles, etc. in the school, the government said. 
It also directed the council schools to establich contacts with local authorities to conduct fogging.
Further, the Yogi government concentrated on the appointment of a health nodal teacher in every school to educate the children on the preventive and precautionary measures in order to avoid the spread of communicable disreases. 
This nodal teacher should coordinate with the local health department from time to time and provide measures for disease prevention.
Additionally, teachers in different classes should create WhatsApp groups to connect with parents, share informative videos periodically, and alert them through online meetings, said the government.