View report page

49
All school children aged 13 years are offered protection against tuberculosis
by means of B.C.G. Vaccination. This is done after a preliminary skin
test to discover if they already have some degree of natural protection.
2,098 children were given the test and 1,933 needed to be vaccinated.
HEALTH SURVEYS
In addition to periodic visits by the school physician, the school nurse
keeps in close touch with the schools to which she is allocated and makes
regular hygiene inspections. Three types of survey are carried out at these
inspections. The school nurse may carry out a comprehensive survey of each
child in a class, or pick out particular children. This latter type of
examination is described as a selective survey. In addition the nurse may
only examine children for specific defects such as for athletes foot or plantar
warts and this is described as a communicable disease survey. Should a child
be found to be in a verminous condition, parents are advised as to treatment
if necessary for all the family. Where home treatment is difficult or in
case of repeated infestation the family may be referred to a cleansing centre.
Details are set out below:-
No. examined at comprehensive surveys 24,456
Percentage found verminous 0. 9
No. examined at selective surveys 3,397
Percentage found verminous 3.2
No. of individual pupils found verminous 283
No. referred to a bathing centre 37
HEALTH EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS
Health Visitors attend schools at the request of the Head Teacher and
give talks to senior girls on the care of young children. Senior girls from
five schools visited various day nurseries during the year.
DEFECTIVE HEARING
Special attention is given to verifying that a child's hearing is
satisfactory. One school nurse devotes most of her time touring the schools
testing the hearing using an audiometer.
Those children who fail the first test - a sweep test - are given a more
detailed hearing test at John Scott Health Centre. During the year out of
4,843 children who were given a sweep test, 188 required a further test and 89
were referred to the consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon who conducts a
weekly clinic at the Centre.
Special clinics are held for the assessment of babies for defects of
hearing and are essential for ensuring early diagnosis and treatment.
Children at the special unit for partially hearing children, which is an
integral part of one of the primary schools, continue to be seen every six
months by a consultant E.N.T. Surgeon who is accompanied by a social worker.
SPECIAL SCHOOLS IN THE BOROUGH
STORMONT HOUSE OPEN AIR SCHOOL
This School continued to provide a first rate educational setting for children
with a wide variety of disorders, mainly physical but with a significant proportion
of an emotional nature.