Lawmakers Advance Bill to Establish Medical Rooms and Supervised Health Care in Schools
A bill aimed at clarifying how medical offices should be created and operated within educational institutions will be submitted to the State Duma. The proposal was reported by TASS as part of the legislative initiative currently under discussion.
The authors of the draft intend to incorporate into the legislation several provisions from the health ministry order that governs the procedure for providing medical care to minors during the education process. The draft envisions the establishment of health units in schools staffed by doctors who meet health standards and hold valid professional licenses.
In their explanatory note, the authors argue that such health rooms are not present in all schools, and where they exist they frequently fail to meet established standards. To address this discrepancy, they propose that the law require continuous medical supervision for students during school hours.
The authors also indicate that the initiative should be funded from the federal budget, ensuring steady financial support for the creation and maintenance of these health facilities in educational settings.
Data from the Ministry of National Education published in December highlighted the scale of the issue. It was reported that out of about 30 thousand schools across the country, roughly 13 thousand do not have health rooms, signaling a significant gap in access to in-school medical care. The situation was described as serious by officials familiar with the figures.
Previously, there were discussions about introducing educational programs on the safe use of electric scooters in schools and universities, reflecting ongoing efforts to address health and safety concerns within the academic environment.
Overall, the proposed bill seeks to standardize the presence of medical facilities in schools, guarantee licensed medical professionals on site, and secure federal funding to support the health infrastructure that directly affects student well being and day-to-day educational experience.