The Child Health Division under the Ministry of Health and Population is providing first-aid kits to both public and private schools of ten districts this fiscal year.

The ministry decided to distribute first-aid kits after they found that schools lack such kits, especially in rural areas, said Lila Bikram Thapa, senior public health officer at the division. The ten districts which will receive the kit are Jhapa, Okhaldhunga, Sinduli, Chitwan, Kaski, Parbat, Rukum, Dang, Doti and Dadeldhura.

“The government aims to distribute such kits nationwide and is slowly scaling up the programme,” said Thapa. The government had distributed the kit in four districts last year — Sankhuwasabha, Morang, Mahottari and Nuwakot.

The first aid box contains sterile gauze pads in small and large squares to place over wounds, adhesive tapes, roller and triangular bandages to hold dressings in place or to make an arm sling, adhesive bandages in assorted sizes, scissors, tweezers, safety pins, disposable non-latex gloves such as surgical or examination gloves, flashlight with extra batteries in a separate bag, antiseptic wipes or soap, pencil and pad and thermometer. A first aid box costs around Rs 4,000.

With the help of first aid trainers, we are also providing first-aid training to at least one teacher from each school so that they can provide first aid treatment during emergency, the officer said.

source: The Himalayan Times,30 Dec 2012