The health and safety of students at Universal American School are of paramount importance. The school clinic is well staffed with a full-time medical doctor and two nurses registered and licensed with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).
If children are unwell while at school, they will be cared for at the clinic until collected by a parent or guardian. The clinic team provides first aid to sick and injured students during school hours and during the after-school activity time on the school campus. The clinic administers medicines and refers students to follow-up with medical practitioners or to emergency services if needed. The clinic is well equipped with an automated defibrillator, nebulizers, and an oxygen apparatus which all help provide appropriate medical first-aid response.
In addition, the school also focuses on preventative healthcare by participating in various health campaigns with our school doctor giving regular health talks and advice to students promoting a healthy lifestyle.
UAS supports the Dubai Health Authority School Health Guidelines:
Policy on Administration of Medication
Prior to school admission, parents are required to submit a signed consent form stating which medicines can be administered by the school clinic staff. The form can be acquired from the clinic. The clinic is well stocked with necessary medicines which will be dispensed to students after parents have been contacted. If the parents are not reachable, the school doctor will administer appropriate treatment.
The school follows the Dubai Health Authority’s standard school medication policy for prescription and non-prescription medication.
- Emergency medicines: Students are NOT allowed to carry medicines with them except asthma inhalers and Epi-pens (Middle School and High School students). Students who need to carry these medicines are permitted only after the clinic receives a written statement from the student’s physician and parent or guardian verifying the necessity of and student’s ability to self-administer the medicine.
- Prescription medicines: A written order for prescription medicines which need to be administered during school hours shall be obtained from the student’s physician. This order must include a diagnosis requiring medicine, dosage, and route of administration. Medication must be brought to the school in original packaging and labeled appropriately by the pharmacist.
- Over the Counter medicines: shall be brought in with the manufacturer’s original label with the student’s name affixed to the container.
Medicine will then be administered by the school’s medical staff after the parents sign the request form available in the school clinic.
Physical Examination
As part of the Dubai Health Authority’s regulations, it is mandatory to conduct a non-invasive medical examination that includes height and weight with BMI, BMI Percentile and Z-score, screening of vision (Snell’s chart), ear, nose, throat, skin, respiratory, cardiovascular, abdominal, musculoskeletal systems of students in the following grade levels:
· All students in KG1
· All students in Grade 1
· All students in Grade 4
· All students in Grade 7
· All students in Grade 10
· All newly enrolled students and students leaving Grade 12
The medical examination includes:
1. Height & Weight with BMI, BMI Percentile and Z-score
2. Vision testing (Snellen’s chart)
3. Physical examination: Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Central nervous system and Abdominal examination.
4. Ear, Nose and Throat Examination.
All physical examinations shall be conducted by the School Doctor, assisted by School Nurses and recorded in their Individual Health Records. Student privacy and confidentiality shall always be maintained.
The findings of each examination shall be recorded in the student’s individual medical records. Records are maintained in a secure area with access limited to authorized clinic personnel.
Infection Control Policy
Fever: A sick child is not able to function effectively in school and should rest at home until fully recovered. If a child develops a fever during school hours, parents will be contacted and requested to take the child home. A student with a temperature of 100° F (37.8° C) should remain at home until free of fever for 24 hours.
Children with conditions that require exclusion from the school such as chicken pox, measles, mumps, conjunctivitis, or any other contagious disease should be rested and cared for at home and may only return to school when they are no longer contagious. The infectivity period for each condition varies. Upon returning to school a medical certificate from the attending physician must be provided.
To further reduce the spread of infection please do not send your child to school if they have:
- A suspected contagious rash
- Heavy nasal discharge
- Red, sticky eyes
- Persistent cough
- Vomiting and diarrhea (return to school only when symptom free for at least 24 hours)
Health Policies
Please click on the links below to view the UAS health policies on:
- Diabetic Management Policy
- First Aid & Emergency Policy
- Head Lice Policy
- Medication Management Policy
- Nuts & Allergies Policy
- Parent Notification Policy
- Stay Home if Unwell Policy
Medical Forms
Prior to your child’s admission to the school, you will be required to complete the medical forms available in the clinic and on the school website. It is important that the school is made aware of any medical condition that your child has or if they are receiving any medication.
For conditions that require emergency care (asthma, allergy, diabetes and epilepsy), action plan forms are available in the school clinic. Please update the clinic of any change in your child’s medical/surgical history and of any change in your contact details.
Click on appropriate form to download:
– Admission Health Form
– Admission Health Form Arabic
– Diabetes Medical Management Plan
Accidents and Emergency
In case your child requires emergency treatment efforts will be made to contact the parents. If contact is not possible, the school doctor will administer appropriate emergency treatment and if needed an ambulance will be called to transfer your child to the hospital.
Immunization
Parents are required to submit copies of the updated vaccination cards to the clinic for record purposes prior to the start of school. We are a Vaccine Qualified Clinic (VQC) and provide free of cost vaccinations including MMR, OPV and DPT/Td to our students (ages 6 – 18 years) in liaison with DHA based on World Health Organization immunization schedule. Parents will be notified 2-3 weeks in advance about the immunization program.
Sun care
Heat in Dubai is extreme most times of the year posing risk of skin cancer if appropriate measures at not taken. We recommend parents send a hat with their children and encourage them to wear them at all times when playing outside. Please apply SPF 30+ sunscreen to your child’s exposed skin and encourage older children to carry sunscreen in their bag for reapplication.
Students are encouraged to drink water regularly. Drinking water fountains are located at numerous locations around the school.