The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has announced its preparations to launch the “Back to School” campaign under the theme: “School Health: Promising Student-Centered Healthcare.” This initiative will be implemented across all government schools, kindergartens, and Education Above All schools, targeting students and their parents, in conjunction with the commencement of the new academic year on Sunday, September 8, 2024.

This year, PHCC’s School Health Department has adopted this theme as it reflects a modern approach to healthcare, emphasizing the student as the center of health services. The initiative aims to develop and enhance school health services according to the highest standards by fostering collaboration among nursing services providers, recipients, as well as their families, within the school setting. Furthermore, it seeks to foster a collaborative environment between nursing services providers, students, and parents, acknowledging the latter as essential partners in the continuous development and improvement of school health services, and in identifying and addressing the students’ comprehensive health needs, be they physical, psychological, or preventive, to ensure these needs are fully met.

The campaign will feature numerous activities and competitions aimed at raising awareness among the target groups. These initiatives will include educational lectures, training workshops, and the distribution of pamphlets, brochures, and messages directed at students and their parents, all designed to reinforce the importance of healthcare centered around student well-being.

This campaign aligns with the transition of school clinics from the traditional model to a “smart clinic” model, founded on key principles. These principles include the provision of integrated health and nursing services, continuous nursing care by a qualified, licensed, and highly trained nursing team, and a commitment to patient safety. Moreover, the school nurse plays a pivotal role as a coordinator of healthcare. The smart clinic is electronically linked to the health records maintained at PHCC health centers and is fully equipped with all necessary medical and therapeutic devices. It delivers healthcare services based on the latest healthcare practices, always focusing on student health as the priority.

It is important to note that certain conditions are essential to achieve student-centered healthcare. These conditions include ensuring that school nurses respect students’ health needs to build trust in school health services and their providers, facilitating access to all treatment and preventive services offered either at the school clinic or at health centers connected to the school health system, and ensuring collaboration with all relevant entities at health centers to deliver integrated services across all medical specialties. Additionally, the campaign emphasizes the importance of continually identifying emerging health needs among students and evaluating the current services provided through feedback from students and parents, gathered via surveys and regular meetings. This approach supports ongoing planning and evaluation to expand or introduce new services as needed to meet the evolving health needs of students, while periodically refining how these services are delivered to schools.

In conclusion, the School Health Department aspires to reach the broadest possible segment of the Qatari community through this campaign, including students and their parents, in order to achieve the campaign’s objectives. The department also seeks to enhance cooperation with parents for the benefit of the students. We extend our best wishes for a successful academic year ahead.