IndexAbstractIntroductionMethodologyHistory of Health in Schools and CollegesHealth Problems of School and College StudentsDiscussion and Suggestions on Literature ReviewStatistical Data of South Indian SchoolsInterpretation of Case Studies SchoolsInterpretation of University Case StudiesConclusionSummarySummaryIndia achieved independence from the British Rule almost 71 years ago. But even today there is a lack of healthcare facilities provided to our citizens. In this article I would discuss the lack of medical and healthcare facilities in educational institutions of India. Even though we have many good hospitals and doctors in our nation, we still lag behind in providing basic healthcare to students. The health of a student is of great concern, be it a young child going to school or a student at a university college. Just like every other human being, they also need basic medical facilities in times of need. This article consists of case studies conducted by various researchers and also some old statistical data. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original EssayKeywords: School Healthcare, Medical Facilities, School Ambulance, Medical Colleges, Private Hospital, IntroductionA school or college is a place where a student spends almost 7-10 hours of the day. Every school must have basic health needs. But it has been observed that most schools and colleges do not even have an infirmary on campus, which is of great need in times of emergency. In addition to the infirmary, institutions must also have an experienced nurse and a doctor for medical care. They are the perfect consultants when it comes to suggesting medicines and performing minor stitches. If we compare Indian institutions with foreign ones, we can certainly notice the great hygienic-sanitary differences that the different nations offer. Abroad it is mandatory to have a medical clinic within the premises of the institute. The larger the institution, the greater the reputation. Having said that, one should not forget that the larger the institution, the greater the expectation. Yes, the saying is correct. In foreign institutions there are small rooms or medical rooms if the school is normal. But in elite or larger schools there is a nursing home or school hospital to help students. In India, however, this is not the scenario. Here the saying continues like this: “The larger the institution, the greater the investment in infrastructure or the greater the investment in corruption.” In India people think above all about cost reduction. In India, hospital conditions are very bad, especially when it comes to government hospitals. As of June 30, 2016, according to the Medical Council of India, “India has a total of 9,88,922 doctors but unfortunately only 1 doctor is available for 1,668 patients.” Under such conditions the question is: how to get medical facilities in schools and colleges? With this question I began my research on medical and healthcare facilities in schools and universities in India. Methodology The article is mainly based on secondary data. But for the primary data I turned to people whose identities were kept secret. Besides that, the main data is also based on my personal observation on the topic. Newspaper articles were also a great help in this newspaper. History of School and College Health School and college health services began in 1909, for the first time in a medical examination of school children carried out in the city of Baroda. In 1946, theBhore's committee reported that school health services were virtually non-existent or underdeveloped in India. In 1953, greater emphasis was given to the need for medical examinations of pupils and school feeding programs by the Secondary Education Committee. In 1960, the Indian government established a school health committee to evaluate the health and nutrition standards of school children. Over the course of their five-year plans, many state governments have included health and school feeding programmes. Despite these efforts to improve school health, it must be said that in India, “As in other developing countries, school health services provided are little more than a token service due to lack of resources and insufficient facilities” (Sonawane .N, 2017). Health facilities and sanitation measures are the two important aspects for a correct school and university environment. Although many changes have been made to the school health system, the university health system today also needs special attention. Even today, universities do not have basic medical facilities. Basic medicines for health problems are provided in the college emergency room but are not satisfactory. This is what intrigued me about writing an article. Health problems of school and university students Health problems of students differ depending on the age group. The problems of school students may not be the same as those of college students. According to various data collected, the problems faced by school students are: common infectious diseases, skin rashes, eye and ear problems, malnutrition, food poisoning, mental stress, etc. While among university students the problems are completely different. Today, most colleges are residential and have hostel facilities. Students staying in hostels face maximum health problems. Students residing in hostels stay away from home to receive formal education. They are on their own for any problem that arises, be it emotional, financial, mental or medical. Even if for emotional or financial problems we can contact our close friends and family when necessary. But when it comes to mental distress or health problems, it becomes very difficult for students to cope with the situation. According to my observation, most of the students in college hostels of various regions face the following problems:1. Homesickness2. Food poisoning3. High weight loss and obesity4. Jaundice5. Ulcers6. Blood pressure7. Diseases due to water contamination8. Urinary infection9. Allergies10. Private Parts Problems (Especially Girls) Discussion and Suggestions on Literature Review Statistical Data of South Indian Schools To get a deeper understanding of the different healthcare facilities provided in schools I have referred to the above mentioned document to get the statistical data of a Previously conducted on school in South India. According to this data, 30 schools were surveyed using the sampling method, of which 4 were government schools, 12 were aided schools and 14 were private schools. About 25 schools had well-connected roads and 29 had verandas attached to classrooms for recess. This study helped in understanding the situation analysis and priority issues of these factors in schools of urban setting in India. This was further demonstrated in statistical data collected on schools (Joseph, Bhaskaran, Saya, Kotian, & Menezes, 2012). The tables are as follows: Interpretation of the school case study Case 1: “A little girl withmild mental retardation was playing in his school with friends. The swing he is on is wobbly and defective. She gave in and the little girl had a bad fall, seriously injuring her face. The school was unaware of how to handle the incident and called parents. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital and was hospitalized for several days. The parents alleged that medical care was not provided on time and the school authorities did not visit the hospital or provide any support” (Pawar.D, 2015). According to the above case, the child suffered serious injuries due to ignoring safety measures by the school, he was hospitalized as the school had no first aid services or medical treatment. The school didn't even have its own private medical consultant who could have helped in such a situation. Case 2: “Around 125 children of JawaharNavodayaVidyalaya in Barahiya, Lakhisarai district, 135 km from Patna, fell ill apparently due to suspected food poisoning in the early hours of Friday. The students complained of suffering from nausea and vomiting at 2.30am on Friday, several hours after having dinner in the hostel. A total of 80 students were rushed to Barahiya Referral Hospital while 45 were rushed to nearby LakhisaraiSadar Hospital” (India, 2018). The above case concerns a school hostel mess where 125 students fell ill due to food poisoning. My question is: why is there no proper food inspection in hostels? This is not just the scenario in Patna but in most schools and colleges with hostels. The food is not checked either before preparation or before service. This becomes the main reason for food poisoning and diseases like typhoid. Is this how national schools maintain sanitation measures in schools? Are schools completely ignoring the health of young children?Case 3: Nearly 120 children fell ill after eating at a school in Thiruvanthapuram and were admitted to a nearby hospital. Although none of them were serious, they were discharged only after monitoring their health conditions (Thiruvananthapuram News - Times of India, 2018). Schools should understand that children need to eat a proper and healthy diet. Any manipulation of food can be harmful to your health. In this case, the food consumed by the student was sent for examination after the children became ill. Had there been previous precautions, the children would not have been admitted to hospital.Case 4: “The death of Akriti Bhatia, a class XII student of Modern School in VasantVihar, after an asthma attack, highlights the urgent need for form guidelines on how schools should handle medical emergencies” (Bhatia.R, 2009). According to Dr. PannaChoudhury, president of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, “There are no guidelines for schools on how to deal with children's health emergency.” This is what worsens the health conditions of the school. It is time for the nation to wake up and join forces on this issue. Children need maximum attention when they are away from home. They do not have knowledge about medicines and health problems. In these cases schools should be well equipped with basic emergency kits so that they can come in handy when needed. Having said this we must not forget the words of Dr. Satish Bharadwaj, Emergency Medical Transport Service, Goodman Rescue. According to Dr. Bharadwaj, “Every school should have a first aid kit, an oxygen cylinder that has been checked and certified and experienced school staff members are alwayspresent." The above-mentioned cases are just a few when it comes to the lack of medical facilities in schools. But there are some schools that are well equipped for emergency situations. GD Goenka School in Dwarka has a full-time nurse and doctor. It has a medical room with three beds (Bhatia.R, 2009). It also has ties to the local hospital. The school has stretchers, an oxygen tank and a school ambulance. The school also has a well-managed school health record of all students. But only a few schools have such well-equipped facilities. According to minister RenukaChowdhury, “periodic health checks should be made mandatory in all schools” (Bhatia.R, 2009). There are many more schools which have made it mandatory to have a medical booth and basic healthcare facilities within the premises for students as well as well teaching and non-teaching staff. Apart from GD Goenka School, Jain International Residential School in Bangalore, Taurian World School in Ranchi, Doon School in Dehradun, JawaharNavodayaVidyalaya in Tripura, Doon Global School in Dehradun and Sheyn International Schools are some of the schools which have well equipped medical facilities in India .College interpretation of case study This study has been written with both primary and some secondary data. Colleges are where students are believed to have busy lives. They suffer from excessive pressure in colleges. In such cases, colleges should follow some health measures to monitor students' health. Below are some case studies that demonstrate that the lack of adequate medical facilities in universities has taken a toll on students. Disclaimer: The character name, location and events are subject to change based on the situation to maintain the privacy of the informant's identity .Case 1: A girl named Prabha from a reputed management institute in Ranchi , fainted in class. She remained unconscious for almost 10-12 minutes when the college staff entered the room. His classmates ran all over the institute to see if they could get some ORS or glucose water, but in vain. The staff did not take any initiative to provide 4-wheeler transportation to the students but asked the students to fend for themselves. This case was the main reason why I started writing this article. The question is, being a management institute, how can we not have emergency transportation for students? What if the student suffered some serious health problem that could have been fatal due to the institution's negligence? I think it's high time Indian institutions took student health seriously. Since management institutes charge a fee structure for every single thing in their curriculum, they should have better healthcare facilities. Since students pay fees in lakhs, they can pay this too if needed. But this would be highly unethical if such large institutions could not provide these basic medical facilities without charging students. Health is something that can rise and fall unpredictably. Institutions should be ready for any type of health emergency situation. Case 2: In Dehradun, universities have tie-ups with local semi-government hospitals. But the irony is that hospitals are located 10-12 km from universities. Nearby hospitals are not well equipped but students during emergency have no choice but to visit underrated hospitals as good hospitals are located in quiet areas and far away. Since I have been to Dehradun, I agree with this case. Good hospitals are not located.