Give us back the school medicine
by Massimo Greco
Despite the surge in infections, and the distance learning imposed by some regions, the government seems to be holding on to the closure of schools. However, it is likely that in these hours the idea of differentiating the different educational levels is maturing, maintaining the presence only for compulsory school, also in the scientifically substantiated consideration that children under 10 are exposed to the risk of infection are less likely to develop Covid 19 than adults and the elderly. At this point, the “hot potato” remains in the hands of the “educating community”, that is the set of actors involved in the educational process inside and outside the school and therefore the family and teachers. These two actors are in fact called, also through the undersigned co-responsibility pact, to monitor more than ever the state of health of the children before letting them out of the house, and the school, for its part, to observe the warnings provided for by the ministerial protocols to starting with the daily temperature measurement. However, an important piece is missing from this mosaic: the medical referent for school activities foreseen in the 2020-2021 School Plan. Nor is it conceivable to replace this figure with the new contact person for monitoring the progress of the infection identified by the Dean among the teachers. If the evolution of the social-health system has repeatedly highlighted the need for an adequately trained health figure of reference within the school, let us imagine in times of pandemics. The school doctor would have the task of teaching the elementary hygiene, food and behavioral rules, constituting a “friend” figure to whom to refer in the first instance for every need, in support and in collaboration with other medical figures in the area and alongside other professionals health for the screening activity in favor of students for various pathological conditions, preventing and reducing the onset of conditions that are harmful to health. In reality, the school medicine network had existed since 1961 and was alienated in the 1980s, now it’s time to resurrect it.
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