An evaluation of school health services in Sagamu, Nigeria

Context: School health services (SHS) have been shown to be suboptimal in Nigeria. The paucity of data on the status of SHS in Sagamu makes it even more challenging for instituting corrective action. Aim: To evaluate SHS in public and private schools in Sagamu. Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional study carried out on private and public nursery/primary and secondary schools in Sagamu, Ogun State. Materials and Methods: A total of 91 schools, randomly selected from 182 available, comprising 53 private nursery/primary schools, 22 public nursery/primary schools, 11 private secondary schools and 5 public secondary schools, were inspected for availability of the components of the SHS and evaluated using the SHS Evaluation Scale (SHSES). Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using SPSS version 15.0. Categorical variables were analyzed using Chi-square test. Level of significance was taken to be P < 0.05. Results: Only one (1.1%) school benefited from the services of a school doctor. Essential drugs and materials for first aid services were available in 85 (93.4%) of the schools, while only 26 (28.6%) had a sick bay. Screening tests for disabilities were performed in only 10 (11%) of the schools visited. Although school midday meals were available in all the schools, they were not free. Private secondary schools had the highest percentage of good school health evaluation scores (63.6%), while 96.2% of the private primary schools had poor health service evaluation scores. Conclusions: SHS are unsatisfactory in Sagamu. It is therefore necessary for all stakeholders in Sagamu schools (private and public) to provide the materials and manpower needed to achieve effective SHS in the area.