ALDONA: Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira has questioned the Goa Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan’s recent directive asking schools to collect health details of students for the creation and validation of ABHA IDs, raising concerns over the short deadline and the manner in which the exercise is being implemented.
A circular issued on August 13 directed schools to submit information including students’ height, weight and haemoglobin levels by August 17. Ferreira said such a deadline was difficult to meet, particularly when haemoglobin testing requires proper medical screening.
The MLA said health assessments under the government’s child health programme are generally expected to be carried out through authorised medical teams visiting schools, with test results subject to appropriate verification.
He questioned how schools could complete the exercise within a few days in the absence of such medical teams. Ferreira also sought clarification on whether schools were expected to approach private laboratories for haemoglobin tests and who would bear the expenses if that was the case.
Ferreira stressed that he was not opposed to maintaining proper health records for students. Instead, he said the process must be carried out through a structured and medically appropriate system rather than placing schools under pressure to meet an unrealistic deadline.
He also referred to the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), which is aimed at early identification of health conditions and deficiencies among children up to 18 years of age.
The Aldona MLA questioned why such health information had not been collected through a systematic process earlier if it was now required for the ABHA-related exercise.
Ferreira called on the authorities to clearly explain the procedure being followed, ensure the participation of authorised medical personnel and clarify responsibility for testing costs before directing schools to collect and submit the data.
He said accurate student health records are important, but the process must protect the interests of children and ensure that medical information is collected through a proper and reliable mechanism.
