During my time in hospitals and working in preventive healthcare, I have come across countless cases of children whose medical emergencies could have been prevented if schools had a structured health program in place. Some of these stories still haunt me—because they were avoidable. Here are just a few cases that highlight why school health should never be an afterthought.
1) The Asthmatic Boy Who Collapsed During Sports Week Sports week is meant to be a time of celebration, but for one young boy, it turned into a near-tragic event. He suffered a severe asthma exacerbation during a race. The school had no idea he had asthma, and there were no emergency precautions in place. His parents had not informed the school, and no inhalers or trained staff were available to assist. It’s alarming to think that around 10% of students have asthma, yet so many schools remain unprepared to handle such emergencies.
2) The Headache That Wasn’t Just a Headache A young student kept complaining of headaches. The school nurse—or rather, the teacher who “knew some medicine" dismissed it as a migraine. When he finally came to the hospital, we found out he had hypertension. A simple blood pressure check at school could have raised a red flag much earlier.
3) The High Achiever Who Had No Place to Go A teenager from a renowned school jumped from the third floor of his building. He was a high achiever, always excelling. But then, he started struggling with grades, facing pressure from parents and bullying from peers. He had nowhere to go, no one to talk to. The school had no structured mental health support. The lack of a safe space or a trusted counselor could have cost this child his life.
4) The Basketball Player with a Preventable Tragedy A 12-year-old basketball player one of the best in his school sustained an injury during practice. He didn’t receive a tetanus vaccine afterward, and he later presented in the ER with a stiff, arched body opisthotonus, a sign of tetanus. A simple preventive measure could have saved him from immense pain and suffering.
5) The Seizure That Harmed a Teacher Too A student had a seizure in class and fell, sustaining serious injuries. It turned out he was already diagnosed with epilepsy but was non-compliant with his medication. Worse, the school had no idea, and there was no action plan. In the chaos, a teacher trying to help was also injured. This situation could have been managed with basic seizure first aid training for school staff.
6) The Assembly Fall That Had a Simple Fix During a morning assembly, a student suddenly collapsed. She was brought to the ER, with everyone assuming she had hit her head during the fall. It turned out she was hypoglycemic. A simple dextrose solution could have solved it immediately if the school had recognized the signs and intervened.
7) The Girl Who Never Made It Back Home I will never forget the face of a 16-year-old girl who was brought dead to the ER during school hours. She had severe diarrhea but was taken to the nearest hospital by the school. lack of fluid resuscitation and delayed transfer cost her life. The school had no emergency medical protocol in place, and the lack of timely care proved fatal. The school had no emergency medical protocol in place, and the delay in proper care cost her life.
The Urgent Need for School Health Programs These cases are heartbreaking because they were preventable. Schools need more than just a first aid box; they need a structured health program that includes:
1)Routine health screenings and medical history documentation
2) Emergency action plans for asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, and other conditions
3)Proper mental health support and counseling services
4) Trained health care professional who can handle medical crises
5) Preventive health measures, including vaccinations and nutrition guidance
Every child deserves to feel safe and cared for at school not just academically, but physically and emotionally. As someone deeply involved in preventive health, I know we can do better. We owe it to our children.
It’s time to prioritize school health and its time we demand better. School health isn’t just about education—it’s about survival.
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