Medical Support

Medical Support

Minor injuries are dealt with by our fully-qualified medical officer, Pushpa Gurung. With parents' consent, serious cases are taken to the Casualty Department of the Prince of Wales Hospital. Parents are asked to complete a medical record form at the beginning of the year to include, for example, details of allergies. They should also inform us if their child/children regularly need to take prescribed medicine during school hours. It is essential for students' safety that parents keep us fully informed of illnesses which may, for example, affect participation in strenuous physical activity.

Access our Medical Information page for more information.(click 'Access')

The Medical Room is located on the Ground Floor (H02A) in the Hall Block of the school.  

Students must have a written note from the class teacher to receive any medical attention during a lesson. Students do not need a note to visit during break or lunch time.

The details of every visit are formally recorded, especially those made during lesson hours.

In the event of an accident, parents are contacted as soon as possible. If necessary, the student will be escorted by the Medical Officer and/or a member of the teaching staff to the Emergency Department of the closest hospital. If the accident is not an emergency then parents will be asked to collect their child from school.

Flu Pandemic Planning

We are being exposed to different strains of influenza virus each year. During each flu season, Sha Tin College, along with the Hong Kong Department of Health, closely monitors the situation and implements all recommendations made by the Health Department.

We advise anyone with flu-like symptoms to stay home. The symptoms of Flu include: fever; lethargy; lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with Flu also have reported runny nose; sore throat; nausea; vomiting and diarrhea.

For the latest information on the Flu advisory, please visit the following link: http://www.chp.gov.hk/en/view_content/14843.html

Medication Policy for Sha Tin College

We follow the following guidelines for the administration of prescription or over- the- counter medication by the Medical Office to students in school:

1. A request must be received from the parent or guardian in writing.
2. If the medication was prescribed by a doctor, we require a note stating that it is necessary for the child to take medication during school hours. The note should give clear instructions concerning the required dosage.
3. Any medication must be clearly labelled with contents, patient’s name and dosage.
4. Any medication should be brought to school by the parent or parent’s representative. It should be delivered personally to the Medical Officer. The medication should not be given to a bus escort or anyone else.
5. A completed Medical Authorisation Form must be submitted to the school before the medication can be administered.
6. To enable us to provide the best possible care to all students when they are unwell (or injured), cases of chronic illness or long term complaints, such as asthma, diabetes or epilepsy should be reported to the School Health Professional via the completion of the Medical Information Form.

For more detailed guide on Arrangement on Drug Administration from ESF, please click here.

Some Common Communicable Diseases

Acute Conjunctivitis

• Acute conjunctivitis is inflammation of the clear covering which coats the white of the eye and lines the inside of the eye lids.
• Causative agents: bacteria/virus/allergen
• Incubation period: 24 hours to 72 hours.
• Signs and symptoms: Tearing, redness and itchiness of eyes, puffy eyelids, abnormal ear secretion.
• Acute conjunctivitis may clear on its own, but often needs treatment from your doctor.
• Minimum exclusion from school: Until no abnormal secretion from the eyes or physician approves readmission.

Gastroenteritis

• Gastroenteritis is a condition that causes irritation and inflammation of the stomach and intestines (the gastrointestinal tract).
• Causative agents: Bacteria (Salmonella, Shigella etc), virus (rotavirus, norovirus, etc).
• Incubation period: Bacterial diarrhea - a few hours to five days, viral diarrhea - one to two days.
• Signs and symptoms: Abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, fatigue, fever.
• The most common problem with gastroenteritis is dehydration. This happens if you do not drink enough fluids to replace what you lose through vomiting and diarrhea. Dehydration is most common in babies, young children, the elderly and people with weak immune systems.
• Minimum exclusion from school: Until 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhea or vomiting for viral gastroenteritis. For others, as advised by the doctor.

Head Lice

• Head lice are tiny parasites that affect humans and are most commonly found among the hair, behind the ears and near the neckline at the back of the neck.
• Causative agent: Pediculus humanus capitis
• Signs and symptoms: The most common symptoms are a tickling feeling in the hair, frequent scratching and sores from scratching. On inspection, nits (eggs of head lice) are found stuck at the base of the hair. The patient’s pillows get dirtier due to louse droppings.
• Incubation period: Three stages of life cycle of head lice: 1.The eggs – take 7 to 10 days to hatch. 2. The nymphs – take 7 to 13 days to become adults. 3. The adults: can survive for 28 to 30 days.
• Minimum exclusion from school: The most important step in treating head lice is to check the whole family if one person becomes infected but treat only the members who have live head lice. In order to ensure that head lice are not passed on in school, checking of children’s hair at regular intervals for any signs of head lice is recommended. Children must NOT be sent to school if parents think they might be infected. 

Is my child too ill to attend school?

Many parents and guardians face this decision when their child is not feeling well. Following the guidelines shown below may prove helpful:

Fever: If your child has a body temperature>37.4 degree Celsius, please do not send him/her to school. Fever is a sign of illness. The child should be free from fever for 24 hours before resuming school.

Flu like symptoms: If your child has any flu like symptoms (sore throat, runny nose, cough, body-ache, etc), please refrain from sending her/him to school. Please keep your child home till symptoms disappear or visit a doctor if symptoms persist or get worse.

Vomiting/diarrhea: If your child has vomiting and/or diarrhea, he/she should be kept at home till he/she is free from the symptoms for 24 hours.

*Please note that the above mentioned symptoms do not cover all medical conditions and do not replace the need for a doctor’s consultation.

Useful link

Asthma link: http://www.asthma.org.uk
Department of Health: http://www.dh.gov.hk
Centre for Health protection: http://www.chp.gov.hk

Contact Details for the Medical Officer:
Direct Telephone: (852) 2607 9140
Main Telephone: (852) 2699 1811
Fax: (852) 2695 0592
E-mail: pushpa.gurung@shatincollege.edu.hk