Chinnari Doctors Health Clubs (Arogya Clubs) in each School in the State

Chinnari Doctors Health Clubs, School Education Department and District Education Department officials have informed all the Head Masters and Mandal Educational Officer to constitute Chinnari Doctors(Aarogya Clubs) as per given guidelines for this academic year and submit the list to the concerned officials.

Chinnari Doctors – Health Clubs(Arogya Clubs) Notes
Objectives of the School Health Clubs:
The objectives of the School Health Clubs are:
1. To stimulate and increase children’s awareness of improved hygiene; to promote the adoption of better practices related to the collection, handling and use of water, to promote safe disposal of excreta and waste and good personal hygiene habits;

2. To influence other family members and ultimately the community by popularising healthy habits in personal hygiene and environmental sanitation;

3. To motivate the pupils to avoid the hazards of gastroenteritis and other water-borne diseases and to use sanitary latrines;
4. To make pupils aware that the health of a person is the health and wealth of the family and society.

Membership Patterns of School Health Clubs:
To achieve their objectives, the School Health Clubs need a fairly small membership. They have 10-15 members per school. One boy and one girl from each class can volunteer.

The headmaster is Chairman of the club. One teacher is responsible for activities and follow-up and he is also Convener of the School Health Club. One Health Activist is a Co-ordinator of the School Health Club and Student parents (DWACRA Group members) are members of this club.

All SHCs will be started under the direction of the Director of Education and  Health Departments. Each headmaster is responsible for the SHC program.

1. Discussions to generate awareness on issues related to health, sanitation and hygiene are made through:

• Preparing health messages and presenting these messages in school assemblies;
• Organizing lectures by inviting experts;
• Using posters to spread health messages in classes and setting up health corners in schools.
• Organizing health walks, which allow children to observe nature and discuss issues related to hygiene, sanitation and other aspects of healthy living.

2. Forming healthy habits. 
This is achieved by involving the children in:

• Keeping classrooms, school surroundings and the school latrines clean;
• A campaign to build healthy habits linked to water use and school latrines;
• Maintaining village community taps and keeping their surroundings clean;
• Collecting and processing lunch waste in the schools, keeping waste bins in the classrooms, making compost pits and making paper bags;
• Campaigns to develop healthy food habits and avoid food that is kept unhygienically, sweeping the eating area and sitting away from flies.

3. Dissemination of knowledge and practices:
The dissemination of knowledge and practices acquired in the SHCs happens primarily through meetings and campaigns organized in the school. SHC members explain health messages and other issues.

This program is carried out in areas where sanitation programmers are working, as part of the project. The sanitation programmers work within the Panchayat, the lower administrative level of local government. In addition, SHC members:

• Visit poor neighborhoods and people in their homes;
• Participate in community cleaning campaigns in selected public places;
• Encourage children to discuss these topics with parents and other family members.

For most children, playing ‘doctor doctor’ is just that, child’s play. They will be members of the School Health Club,  they will be handling health emergencies and giving first aid in our school. So they will be the  Chinnery doctors or small doctors, in the age group 8-14. They will handle small health emergencies in our school. All the headmasters in the state are requested to form a School Health Club in Our Schools.

Uses of School Health Club:

• children are using the toilet facilities in schools;
• they are aware of the need to wash their hands with soap or ash after defecation;
• children are influencing their parents to construct toilets and keep them clean. While behavior is not yet changed in 100% of students, it is estimated to be between 50% and 80%.
• The SHCs help with the speedy construction of household latrines in the project area.
• A further monitoring and support stage of at least three years is crucial if the SHCs are to ensure that all children lead a healthy life at and outside school.
• Children can also act effectively as agents of change within their communities.

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