In partnership with the Neurology Division at Sidra Medicine, the School Health Department at Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has launched a ‘Seizure-Friendly Schools’ project for the current academic year.
The four-phase project aims to train school health supervisors and nurses in educating students on ways to provide integrated care for students with seizures and increasing public awareness of the disease.
Dr Layla Abdulla al-Dahnaim, senior community medicine consultant and director of School Health, PHCC, said the project aims to raise health awareness among students, the school community, and parents with regards to managing seizure cases and administering first aid for them.
This is part of the ongoing efforts to enhance awareness and to support schools in handling seizure cases by training school nurses and teachers on how to provide education and health awareness to students and staff at schools and community. The training will allow them to deliver appropriate care for students with seizures, cultivate a more mindful and supportive school atmosphere for them, and to extend support and guidance to parents and students in understanding seizures and how to effectively manage them, thereby enhancing the quality of life for those affected.
Dr Rana al-Shami, paediatric neurology consultant at Sidra Medicine, said: “Through co-operation with the School Health Department and conducting training workshops for educational staff, we launched the first phase, in which we trained 10 school health supervisors and 30 school health nurses, to equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to support students who suffer from seizures.”
During the second phase, school health supervisors imparted their knowledge and expertise to educational staff in the selected schools, with the presence of the Sidra Medicine team at these workshops to ensure accurate and high-quality transmission of information to educational staff.
During the third phase, the success of this project relies heavily on the involvement of School Health Dept with the supervisors required to attend all training workshops to ensure the accuracy and high quality of implementation, in addition to providing effective support to teachers and school administrations, after verifying the competencies of the 30 male and female nurses who have undergone training in conducting seizure workshops.
The project's fourth phase will involve extending its reach to incorporate the remaining government schools in the second half of the academic year. The gradual implementation of this programme guarantees that school staff in main schools will have access to essential training and assistance. Additionally, this project represents a pioneering model of partnership between the health and education sectors to better serve the community.
