We aren’t running hospitals, say schools

The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday issued new guidelines for schools and educational institutions to counter the spread of the H1N1 virus, reports Shubhodeep Chakravarty.

The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday issued new guidelines for schools and educational institutions to counter the spread of the H1N1 virus.

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However, a majority of school officials HT spoke to on Wednesday, the day Delhi reported 25 new cases, said they don’t think it’s practical to implement some of them.

The Centre’s guidelines mandate that teachers have to check students for symptoms of flu every morning, separate those who are ill and send them home.

“It’s not practical to check every student before every class for symptoms. We are running a school, not a hospital,” said Suman Nath, principal, Tagore International, East of Kailash.

The school has stopped holding assemblies and sending students for events to other schools.

“The ministry has been proactive and it’s expected of them to send regular guidelines. We... are... aware of the situation and... taking every possible measure to ensure the flu doesn’t... spread in the school,” said Bharti Sharma, principal, Amity school, Saket said,

School authorities feel though they are doing all they can to ensure there’s no congregation within school premises, at times it becomes difficult to implement the guidelines.

“The school cannot put the life of a child at risk but 100 per cent prevention is not possible,” said Shashi Banerjee, principal, Heritage School, Vasant Kunj.

Delhi Public School’s Greater Noida branch closed two sections for a week to avoid spread of swine flu, after two students were suspected to be infected.