Children, The Family and Health: What it Takes to Give Children Long Life
The Singapore Workshop: Thailand
Health Conditions In Pratom Nonsee School
This paper is collectively based on my professional experience gained in the Prathom Nonsee Primary School where I am working.
First, allow me introduce you about my school, Prathom Nonsee. It is a government primary school among 40,000 in Thailand which locates in the densely populated area in the central part of Bangkok Metropolitan. There are 1,200 students in pre-primary and primary school, grades I to 6 which also has special class for slow learners. Most students live in densely populated area in Klongtoey community. The family status are poor, unhealthy and uneducated. So, there are many relevant problems such as family broken, economic, drug addict and ill health occurred in the school children. These problems have an impact on children both mentally and physically which result on their studying capacity.
Health problems in school actually found are dental, digestive disorder and other existing kinds of disease like influenza, heart disease, anemia leading from malnutrition and hemorrhagic fever etc. Hence, let us talk about the health problem that most school children about 3-10 years of age are facing.
Dental Care
Causes - In fact, we have to admit that most parents have not enough time to take care of their children and spend almost all of the day on income earning due to economic problem. There is no one who teaches them general tooth care. The parents, themselves have no knowledge about dental health. Most of them lack the activities involved in caring of teeth. In addition, to care and treat the teeth and gum costs a lot of money for poor parents in this community. So it is difficult for them to go to the dental clinic.
Alternatives - The matter is raised for a discussion with the group of people who support the school. Then, they manage to request the dentists team from Chulalongkorn University to help the children. The dentists team visits the school twice a week throughout the year for treatment and dental care instruction for the children. According to existing case, the dentist at the public health center nearby also cooperates in the program while the school nurse sometimes keeps up with showing the children how to take care of their teeth, gives them fluoride and salt to protect the teeth and stimulates the children to brush their teeth everyday after lunch.
On the other hand, the children and parents are given more information on dental care.
Digestive Disorder
Causes - In the same conditions as shortage of income and time to look after the family the parents let the children find their own foods. ln the middle class family, parents always give money to their children to buy their foods but instead of food with enough nutrients the children spend the money on toys. In the poor family, small amount of money is given to their children for daily foods but not enough even for a breakfast. Therefore, the children go to school without breakfast. Some children live far from school so they get to school late because of the traffic and sometimes are hungy. Some children do not like to eat because they do not like the food the parents prepare for them. Sometimes, they are bored and tired from getting up early in the morning.
Alternatives
1. Provide breakfast and lunch program to all school children with nutritious value and cheap price.
2. Provide free breakfast and lunch to children who are very poor. In the meantime, the school would get and seek the support from the government, NGO’s, the community and the group of people who are willing to support the school.
3. The government encourages the children to drink milk every morning. Milk is provided to all children in grades 1-3.
4. The school nurse emphasizes to the children the importance of having breakfast and informsthem about digestive disorder due to mal food habit (no breakfast and irregular dining).
Due to the above mentioned practices, the children who suffer from digestive disorder decreases.
In conclusion, I have an opinion that our world is changing rapidly. High technology can facilitate medical curing. I hope that all ill children in the world may be given more care through the stronger cooperation of all parties in this world.
Last Modified: November 29, 2002