After students test positive for swine flu, parents and kids queue up. Dhirubhai Ambani school closes till August 17
After students test positive for swine flu, parents and kids queue up. Dhirubhai Ambani school closes till August 17
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The SMS message received by parents of students who study in JB Vachha school
Pic/ Pradeep Dhivar |
After a 16-year-old student was tested positive for H1N1 flu, other parents from the Navi Mumbai area made it a point to take their children for the test. Kokila Chatterjee (name changed), resident of Navi Mumbai who came with her husband and 12-year-old son, said, "We took an off for my son's test. He had fever and a sore throat. Also the positive swine flu case was from his school (Apeejay School, Nerul)."
Ambika Patil, mother of a 15-year-old studying in Dhirubhai Ambani School, said, "It is better to be safe than sorry. Every second class has students with high fever and cough/cold cases. Also one positive case has been found making us even more worried." Dhirubhai Ambani International School has declared a holiday till August 17. The school has asked parents to take their children for an H1N1 test if there are symptoms.
Alarmed parents from other schools too don't want to send their children to school for the next one week.
Chatterjee said, "I pray my son's report is negative. I won't be sending him to school next week. Even after a positive case, the school hasn't fumigated the premises. They should declare a holiday."
Meanwhile, a student from Class 2 of J B Vachha girls school in Dadar, has been tested positive for swine flu.
The school first sent smses to all parents of Class 2 stating, "Students of Std IIB will not have school from August 10 to August 20 as one student has been tested positive for swine flu." Later in the evening, school officials telephoned parents stating that the school would remain shut until further notice, said a parent who did not wish to be named.
Madhuri Doshi, a resident of South Mumbai whose daughter studies in class 6 at J B Petit School, said, "We received an email from concerned parents stating that if your child has cold, slight fever, headache or throat infection, do not send them to school. However, I am yet to hear from the school."
Meanwhile, State Education Minister Radhakrishna V K Patil, speaking to Sunday MiD DAY, has appealed to all the school authorities not to panic and shut down schools in haste they need to have the necessary permission to do so from the Municipal Commissioner. "The entire state machinery has been geared to tackle the issue."
The minister added that they are reviewing a proposal from the Municipal Commissioner in Pune to shut down all schools there for a week.
