Medication Administration at School

Emergency medication will be administered to students in compliance with the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) guidelines. HAAD requires all schools to have parental consent for the school nurse to administer emergency medications in an emergency, as needed at the school. This consent is acquired at the time of admission and held for the duration of your child’s attendance at DHIS.

Medication required regularly during the school day, activities

No medication will be administered in school or during school activities without the prior consent from a parent or guardian and can be administered only if it is prescribed by a HAAD licensed physician. This includes inhalers which may have been purchased over the counter without a doctor’s current assessment. A hand written note is not accept­able. No student should be self-medicating without the school nurse’s prior knowledge. Students are not allowed to carry medication on their person unless prior agreement has been arranged. In order for the student to self-administer medications such as Inhalers, Epipens and Insulin the physician, parent, and school nurse must deem the student capable of self-administration. It is parent’s responsibility to ensure that any such medication carried on a child is checked regularly from home for expiry date, is in clean working order at all times and labeled with students name and date of birth.

Sickness certificates

Children absent more than three days must provide a medical sick certificate to cover their absence please forward this to the class teachers.

Sickness at school

Should your child become sick at school or require home or doctor care, the school nurse will assess and contact the parent directly and provide guidance on health care needs. Please collect your child as promptly as possible i.e. within one hour, as students should not remain in school when unwell.

Infectious illnesses (Health Authority directive)

If your child is suspected or has a confirmed diagnosis of an infectious illness i.e. measles, mumps, chicken pox, meningitis, scarlet fever etc. then please contact the school nurses directly as soon as possible. Nurses are then able to alert the school community, if appropriate (this includes our most vulnerable chronic ill children), and instigate measures as mandated by the health Authority. Nurses will provide guidance and liaise with parents and community health specialists in a sensitive manner as outlined in the Abu Dhabi Health Authority Communicable Disease Policy and Procedures.

Broken bones and reduced mobility at school

Please notify the school nurse directly and forward a copy of the doctor’s discharge report which provides diagnosis and care needs. Nurses can then provide support and care as appropriate. Identifying children with reduced mobility is important at times of fire drills. We do not have spare wheelchairs and crutches for students to borrow. If they require them for existing conditions we advise parents to request them from the hospital or surgery they are seen at.