Digital Health Cards for children- Gujarat Govts new initiative

Ahmedabad: In a unique initiative, the Gujarat government has decided to issue digital health cards for monitoring the cognitive development and nutrition level of school children as part of Shala Arogya-National Child Health Program (SHRBSK), Gujarat has become the first and only state in the country to implement such a system.

The launch of this comprehensive health check-up campaign took place on June 12, 2023, coinciding with the 20th Shala Praveshotsav (School Enrolment Drive).

Over the next 30 days, more than 1 crore school children across Gujarat will undergo health check-ups as part of this special campaign, ensuring their well-being.

SHRBSK is a joint initiative between the central and state governments, catering to children from newborns up to 18 years of age. It covers students in Anganwadi centres, primary schools, secondary/higher secondary schools, as well as school dropouts.

Through this program, the state government offers free health check-ups, diagnosing various ailments including anaemia, malnutrition, skin diseases, learning disabilities, developmental delays, and other illnesses.

The Shala Arogya-National Child Health Program comprises 992 mobile health teams, each consisting of doctors, pharmacists, and health workers. These teams will conduct health check-ups of students across the state.

Children diagnosed with ailments during the campaign will receive free treatment at government health institutions, ranging from Primary Health Centres to super specialty hospitals.