Health Information Handbook

Section A: General Information

Medical Center

Nurse Ngoc Anh
Hours: 7:30am- 4:30pm
Tel (direct line): 024 56789900 . Extension: 900
E-mail: nurse@isph.edu.vn

Care is provided for students and staff who become ill, are injured or need treatments and/or medication administered during the school day. The school nurse also serves as a resource for any health related issues for students, teachers, families and the classroom.

Emergency Phone Numbers

General emergency number: 115 From cell phone: 115

Hospitals/Clinics

Vinmec Royal City Clinic
Address: 72A Nguyen Trai, Royal City, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi. Tel: +84 24 6664 6868.

Hong Ngoc Keangnam Clinic
Address: Zone B1 & Floor 10 Keangnam Landmark, 72 Pham Hung, Me Tri, Tu Liem, Hanoi. Tel: +84 24 3927 5568, ext 8.

Hanoi French Hospital
Address: 01 Phuong Mai Street, Dong Da, Hanoi. Tel: +84 24 3577 1100/ +84 24 3574 1111 (Emergency) Fax: +84 24 3576 4443

Raffle Medical Clinic Hanoi
Address: 51 Xuan Dieu street, Tay Ho Dist, Hanoi. Tel: +84 24 3934 0666 Fax: +84 24 3934 055

ISPH Health Requirements

For Admission:

a) Completed Student Health Form with health history, medical concerns, and consent for care.

b) Completed immunisation record. The Recommended Childhood Immunisation Schedule is available from the ISPH nurse.

Section B: ISPH Health Policies

During the school day

Students are not allowed to carry medication with the exception of asthma inhalers or throat lozenges. If a student requires medication during the school day, whether this is for temporary or long term use, it must be sent to the nurse to be dispensed in the medical room. Parents should inform the school nurse of any student with an infectious disease and the isolation periods for children suffering such illnesses should be followed. The School insists that the parents acquire a medical certificate from the doctor to confirm that the child is fit to return to school.

If the health status or medication/treatment regimen of a student changes during the school year, parents are required to inform the nurse.

Simple Responsibilities/Tips for Students and Families

Following the tips below will help to keep your immune system strong and will help to avoid common ailments such as colds, headaches, stomach-aches and toothaches.

• Implement common sense habits such as frequent hand washing and keeping fingernails short to help prevent the transmission of germs to self and to others by contaminated hands.

• Cover your coughs and sneezes not with your hands but with a tissue, or sneeze into your arm or shoulder.

• Drink plenty of liquids. Water should always be your first choice! Avoid caffeinated and sugary drinks.

• Eat healthy meals that include complex carbohydrates made with whole grains, protein that’s low in saturated fats and cholesterol, fresh fruits and vegetables high in vitamins and minerals. It is important to read food labels and pay special attention to serving size, fat, sugar and sodium content. Make sure that the numbers stay within your recommended daily allowance! This practice together with regular exercise will lower ones chance of developing chronic illnesses and conditions such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension/heart disease and certain cancers later on.

• Get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is important to our physical, mental and emotional disposition. Students in all class levels need between 8 ½ to 10 hours of sleep every night. Rather than a nap after school, a short rest or quiet time is recommended. This will ensure that your child will be able to go to bed early.

Oral/dental hygiene is important at any age. Implementing good habits early will decrease expensive and agonizing visits to the dentist later on! Brush your teeth in the morning and before bedtime. Flossing will help to remove food particles lodged between the teeth. A visit to the dentist for professional cleaning and plaque removal every six months is recommended.

Section C: When to keep your child home from school (some common examples)

Fever

A temperature of over 37.6 C before medication often indicates that your child is unwell and may have a contagious illness. Keep him/her at home, and provide lots of rest and fluids. Contact the doctor for high fever or if mild fever lasts for more than 2-3 days. Temperature needs to be normal for 24 hours, without the aid of medications, before your child can be allowed to return to school.

Diarrhoea and/or Vomiting

If your child has only one or two loose stools without other symptoms it is not necessary to keep them at home unless there are signs of other illness. However, if your child has frequent diarrhoea or it is accompanied by a fever and/or cramping, it is best for them to remain at home. Remember to replace lost fluids with water and mild liquid soup.

Vomiting due to stress or excess activity is not uncommon. If a child is otherwise feeling fine, he/she can come to school. However if this is accompanied by nausea and the child is unable to keep food down, it is best for them to remain at home.

Children in Early Years should be kept at home with any degree of vomiting or diarrhoea.

Sore Throat

Check your child’s temperature. If there is no fever, give them breakfast and something to drink. Gargling with warm salt water, mouthwash or sucking on a lozenge might relieve discomfort. If there is a fever and/or their throat is red and painful, see a doctor. If your child is diagnosed with strep, keep your child at home until he/she has been on antibiotics for 24 hours and is advised by the doctor to return to school.

Chicken Pox

There are a small percentage of children who develop chicken pox even though they have received the varicella vaccine. It is still very contagious! Symptoms include fever and itchy pink or red spots with a blister in the center. Inform the school and keep your child at home for 7-10 days until all of the spots have dried or formed scabs. A clearance letter from the doctor is also needed upon returning to school.

Conjunctivitis or Pink Eye

This is a highly contagious infection of the eye. Symptoms include burning/itching, redness and/or discharge from eye. Please see a doctor because your child might need special eye drops/ointment. Keep your child at home until the doctor authorises his/her return to school. If your child arrives at school with these symptoms, you will be asked to take him/her home.

Ring Worm

This is a fungal infection found on the skin or scalp. Your child should see a doctor and use an antifungal medication. Your child does not have to stay out of school, as long as the areas can be covered. A note to your child’s teacher would also be helpful. Please note that your child will have to stay out of the swimming pool.

Verruca Vulgaris (common warts)

This is caused by a virus and can spread by direct or indirect contact. Most warts are seen on fingers, hands, elbows and soles of the feet. Your child does not have to stay at home for this condition. Cover the wart if it is infected or draining. There are various modes of treatment, see your doctor for further details and recommendations.

Fifth Disease (slapped cheek disease)

This is a viral illness that can be transmitted from person to person via secretions from the mouth and/or nose. This can happen from sharing cups, toothbrushes etc. The contagious stage is before the rash appears, when the child has simple cold symptoms with a mild fever. These symptoms usually last for about one week. Following this, a characteristic bright red, itchy rash will appear on the cheeks. No antibiotics are recommended because it is viral. Over the counter medications can be used to control the fever or itching. However, your child should see a doctor to evaluate risk for potential health related complications.

Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease (HFMD)

This is a viral illness that is common in infants and children under 10 years of age. The infection causes a fever and blister-like eruptions in the mouth and/or a skin rash which usually appears on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet or sometimes the buttocks and/or genitalia. This infection is spread from person to person via secretions from the nose, blister fluid, saliva, or faeces of infected persons. The virus is most often spread by persons with unwashed virus-contaminated hands or by contact with virus contaminated surfaces. There is no vaccine for HFMD. Over the counter medication can be used to relieve aches, pain and fever. Once infected, antibodies are produced, but re- infection is still possible from another strain of the virus. The first week of infection is the most contagious period. The virus can remain in the body long after the symptoms have gone away, meaning the infected person can still pass the infection to others.

Dengue Fever

This is a viral disease contracted from the bite of an Aedes mosquito. The mosquito becomes a carrier and carries the virus when it bites an infected person. Symptoms of illness include sudden onset of high fever (39-40C or 103-105F) intense muscle and joint pain, headache, pain behind the eyes which worsens with movement, nausea/vomiting, a rash starting on the torso and sometimes on the palms of the hands (this may start 3-4 days after the fever). Symptoms of dengue fever appear 3-14 days after being bitten. Do not take aspirin or ibuprofen as they can contribute to bleeding tendencies and stomach pains. It is extremely important to see a doctor once symptoms appear. A blood test is done to confirm the diagnosis. There are more serious forms of dengue, including dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome that require immediate medical attention. There is no vaccine to prevent dengue and because there are different strains of the virus, a person can get infected more than once.

Take proactive measures to prevent being bitten; ensure there is no free standing water around your house; abate can be used to kill the eggs in water plants; install screens on doors and windows; wear long sleeves and pants and use insect repellent and mosquito coils.

Head Lice

These are parasites that are found on the head/scalp. They are transmitted by personal contact from an infected individual. Symptoms include itchy and scratchy scalp. Lice do not transmit diseases or cause permanent hair problems. Infestation can easily occur because head lice multiply rapidly. Otherwise transparent, head lice camouflage themselves by darkening after feeding, to the colour of the skin and hair of the host. Eggs are tiny waxy ovals attached to the hair shaft, usually located near the scalp and often at the nape of the neck and behind ears. There are special medicated shampoos available to treat head lice. Please notify the school nurse or teacher if your child has lice or eggs (nits). The easiest way of controlling the spread of head lice is by informing the school. This way other parents can be notified to have their children checked. Please remind your child not to share combs, hats or towels. If lice are found you will receive a phone call and will be asked to collect your child from school. Once your child’s hair has been treated with the appropriate shampoo he/she can return to school. The school nurse will then examine the child’s hair before he/she is allowed to return to class.

Mumps

Mumps is spread by droplets of saliva or mucus from the mouth, nose or throat of an infected person. Signs and Symptoms Include fever, headache, muscle aches, malaise and loss of appetite. Following this the salivary glands under the ear or jaw become swollen and tender. This can appear on one or both sides of the face. The illness usually last 7 – 10 days. The contagious period is 1‐2 days before the onset of symptoms and up to 5 days after the swelling develops. Some medical advice states that the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine provides 95% protection against mumps. The 1^st dose is administered at 12‐15 months, and the 2^nd dose at 4‐6 years. Maximum benefit is obtained from receiving both doses. Please note that if your child gets mumps, a medical clearance letter from the doctor is needed before he/she can return to school.

Section D: Students and medication

Students are not allowed to carry any medication with them at school. When your child needs to take medicines during the school day, please send the medication to the nurse’s office. Please include a note giving both the dosage instructions and permission to have the nurse administer it, or fill out the form provided in the medical room. At the end of the note write your name, signature and date. If the name of the medication is in another language, please try to include a translation of the ingredients in your note.

If the medication is from a doctor, please send it in the original package. Please ask your doctor for both the generic and brand name of all medicines prescribed, or better yet include medication package insert. In general it is important to find out information such as: possible side effects, interactions with other medication, or actions to take for an accidental overdose. Similarly, if there is an adverse or allergic reaction to the medication, it will help the hospital to provide effective treatment.

Section E: Food allergies

ISPH is a nut safe campus. Please refer to the guidelines in the school handbook. Be sure to document all allergies that you are aware of in the medical health record. The nurse will contact you with further queries or if an Emergency Action Plan is needed.

Section F: Sun safety

The (UV) radiation levels in Vietnam are rated as 10+ or very high throughout the year. As a result all students are required to wear hats during outdoor activities. This includes P.E. classes, recesses/lunch breaks and after school/weekend activities. Students can also apply sun block before coming to school, and are allowed to bring this with them for swimming class and/or field trips.

For more information on any of the above topics, please contact the ISPH Medical Centre.