All children in Pre-school and Primary Education in São Brás de Alportel and in Pre-School in the Public and Solidarity Network of the municipality of Loulé, as well as young people up to Secondary Education with situations detected or signaled by teachers, will have access the Infant Visual Acuity Screening, starting in May.
This screening is promoted by the Regional Health Administration (ARS) of the Algarve, in partnership with the Municipalities of Loulé and São Brás de Alportel, within the scope of a cooperation protocol for the Promotion of Visual Health in Childhood, celebrated on Monday , April 3, between the three entities.
The screening is free and will be carried out by the Al-Portellus and Gentes de Loulé Community Care Units, with the School Health Teams and in collaboration with the Child Health Teams of the functional units of the respective municipalities, «with the aim of preventing and early identify potential ophthalmic changes in children,” explains the ARS.
After early detection, children, in case of need, “will be referred to the ophthalmology unit in due time. Faro of the Algarve Hospital Center to confirm the diagnosis and the respective treatment».
The cooperation protocol was signed between the presidents of the Board of Directors of ARS Algarve and the Municipal Councils of Loulé and São Brás de Alportel, respectively, Paulo Morgado, Vítor Aleixo and Vítor Guerreiro.
For the president of ARS Algarve, the partnership with these two municipalities is «an excellent example» of the new cycle that this Board of Directors is starting, of «greater openness to the community and dialogue with local and regional entities to find solutions for their benefit. of the well-being of the population'.
Paulo Morgado also highlighted the importance of strengthening the articulation and synergies between the local authorities and the ARS Algarve, so that, together, «we meet the identified needs and together improve the health care provided to our populations and contribute to strengthening trust in our public health services in the Algarve».
In the same sense, the mayors of Loulé and São Brás de Alportel underlined the importance of this collaboration in promoting the health of younger people and expressed their willingness to strengthen the partnership with Health in other projects aimed at contributing to the improvement of life of all citizens.
Under this cooperation protocol, the municipalities will purchase the necessary equipment to carry out the screening, making them available to the school health teams of the UCC in the respective municipality.
It will also be the responsibility of the local authorities to contract the provision of an ophthalmologist, in order, in case of need, to follow up on the situations identified, as well as to inform and articulate with the council's school groups with a view to the participation of children in screening.
The UCC school health teams, after articulation with the direction of the groups of schools involved, will carry out the screening in the school context and refer children with positive screening and need for consultation to the family doctor, through the guardian. specialty, for subsequent referral to the Hospital Center of the Algarve.
Comments