It is more convenient to check children’s health before summer

As summer approaches, parents can still manage one important task – to take care of their children’s preventive health check-up. The Student’s electronic health certificate will be valid throughout the year.

“All pre-school and pre-school age children and students up to 18 years of age, as well as adult students who study according to general education programs in schools, must have a preventive health check-up once a year. After the inspection, an electronic Student Health Certificate is issued. We remind parents that vacation time is approaching for everyone, including doctors, so it is good to carry out preventive checks in the spring, then in the fall you don’t have to wait long for a visit”, says Aldona Stukienė, advisor of the Control Department of the Panevėžys Territorial Sick Fund.

The health of children or adult students is checked by a family, pediatric or internal medicine doctor. And the state of dental and oral hygiene is assessed by a primary level dentist, specialist dentist or oral hygienist.

You need to contact your chosen family doctor or other doctor, as well as a dental specialist, in the usual way, with prior registration. A child under the age of 16 must be accompanied by one of their parents or representatives to the check-up, while children aged 16 and over can come alone for a health check-up.

Doctors assess the child’s (up to 4 years) psychomotor development, vision, hearing, support mobility device, mental health status, nutrition and hygiene skills, oral health, measure height, weight, arterial blood pressure and perform other necessary tests. If changes are found, the patient is referred to a specialist doctor for consultation or for tests. It also reminds about age-appropriate vaccinations.

“These checks not only help to spot possible health problems of the child in time, but also to assess his opportunities to participate in educational activities and provide recommendations. For example, to indicate which physical education group the child must attend, to be exempted from these lessons for a specified period, to help institutions choose the right place for the student to sit in the classroom, and meals. In addition, doctors can specify first aid measures in the certificate, in case the student needs emergency medical help at school, for example, due to allergies or chronic diseases”, notes A. Stukienė.

When checking the health of students, dentists and oral hygiene specialists not only assess the condition of the teeth, but also treat the teeth if necessary and cover the healthy permanent molars with sealants. Teeth are covered with sealants from the time the first permanent molar erupts until the child is 14 years old. Sealing is performed free of charge by medical institutions that have signed a contract with the territorial health fund.

The student’s health certificate, issued after the child’s examination, is valid for one year from the date of its completion. A new certificate can be issued before the validity of the previously issued one has expired. Parents or representatives of the child can see this document by logging into the personal account of the electronic health system.

You can find more about preventive health check-ups for children here.

Panevėžys territorial sick fund information