Karwar: A free health check-up and treatment camp for 2,21,461 students studying in primary and high schools of the district would be conducted from August 2 to August 31 under Suvarna Arogya Chaitanya programme, stated Deputy Commissioner of Uttara Kannada K Amarnarayana.

Chairing a preparatory meeting on the implementation of Suvarna Arogya Chaitanya programme here at the DC office he said the health of Students studying in government, aided, un-aided, Morarji Residential Schools, Novodaya and Madrasas would be checked. It was the responsibility of the Public Instruction Department to check and treat the diseases among students. If any student was in need of complex treatment, there is scope for sending them to hospital in Bangalore, Manipal and other places under the programme, he said.

Prizes would be given at district and taluk level to the doctors, voluntary organizations and the public who join hands in making the programme cent per cent successful. Uttara Kannada district, having coastal belt, forest and semi-forest areas, has diverse geographical conditions, and this has helped spread of different diseases, such as dengue, chikungunya and malaria in different regions. Awareness has to be created among students about cleanliness in their surrounding, purity of food and water they consume, he observed.

He suggested to form committees headed b assistant commissioners and Tahsildar to ensure successful implementation of the programme. Legislators and people's representatives in Panchayat Raj institutions should also join hands in their respective jurisdiction, he added.

Giving details of the programme, district health and family welfare officer Shivanna Reddy said the teachers of schools have been instructed to prepare a list of students suffering from ailments as it would help the medical officers to diagnose the disease quickly.

ZP CEO Vijay Mohanraj, DDPI Jayakumar, district surgeon Rayannavar and others were present in the meeting.