Thumbay University Hospital: Back to school should be combined with back to check-ups

As summer is coming to an end and the school year is about to begin, parents should be planning steps that can ensure their child’s health in the upcoming academic year. Experts from Thumbay University Hospital, Al Jurf, are providing free health check-ups to kids, across all ages, on Friday, August 19, 2022 from 9am to 9pm across four specialties including paediatric consultation, ENT, ophthalmology and dental.

Kids participating in this health drive, which is titled ‘Back To School-Stay Healthy, Stay Safe’ campaign, will also receive 25 per cent discount on radiology and 15 per cent discount on lab services.

The weather and other environmental factors like dust can pose a lot of health problems; one shouldn’t underestimate nutritional deficiencies, sicknesses, and allergies. Kids often get coughs and colds, diarrhoea, sore throat, vomiting, etc.

Regular checkups help to detect problems before they escalate. For example, a healthcare professional ensures important developmental milestones are met and provides age-appropriate immunisations to keep the child and those surrounding them safe. Kids entering childcare, daycare and kindergarten need to have up-to-date vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella, or M.M.R, the varicella vaccine for chicken pox, the combination vaccine of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, or DTaP, the polio vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine and the vaccine for hepatitis-B.

Kids between the ages of 10 and 11 should get a tetanus booster and meningococcal vaccine to protect against meningitis. And last but not least, the flu vaccine is recommended every year for both kids and adults.

Through collaborative efforts of departments such as paediatric consultation, ENT, ophthalmology, dental and speech therapy, Thumbay University Hospital’s specialists can help in diagnosing and treating minor and severe childhood health problems.

While, back to school season is always hectic with kids and parents rushing to buy books and uniforms; it’s important to not forget to go for health check-ups. Your child’s physical and mental health is vital for their development and school performance. Please join us in developing a healthier lifestyle for your kids by visiting the health camp, and seeking timely advice from the experts.