According to an official statement, each school will have a dedicated medical room staffed by a trained health worker, such as an auxiliary nurse midwife or a multipurpose health worker. The facilities will provide basic care for students who suffer minor injuries, sudden illness, fatigue, dizziness or other temporary discomforts during the school day.
The services will include wound dressing, oral rehydration solution and supervised temporary rest. However, the facilities will not offer diagnostic services or prescribe medicines, keeping their role focused on immediate, basic medical assistance rather than comprehensive treatment.
The initiative will also provide girl students with a private space to address menstrual health needs, recognising the importance of accommodating such requirements within the school environment.
The rollout will take place in phases. During the first phase, the government will cover schools that already have separate rooms available for first-aid facilities. In the subsequent phase, alternative rooms will be identified or porta cabins installed to accommodate the remaining facilities. Once the process is complete, all 1,086 government schools under the Directorate of Education will have dedicated first-aid rooms.
According to the official statement, the proposal aligns with the National Education Policy 2020, which advocates a safe, inclusive and supportive learning environment for students. By providing basic medical assistance within school premises, the government aims to reduce the time between a medical incident and the availability of care.
Speaking about the initiative, Education Minister Ashish Sood said every child in government schools deserved a safe and caring environment. He said parents and teachers should have peace of mind knowing that immediate first aid and appropriate care would be available on campus if a student fell ill or sustained an injury.
Sood also said the initiative would ensure that students could access immediate basic medical assistance within school premises.
At present, schools often rely on teachers or administrative staff to manage minor medical situations, frequently without formal training or a dedicated space. The proposed facilities are expected to introduce a more consistent approach by providing trained personnel and designated rooms for handling such incidents.
The first-aid rooms will not replace hospitals or clinics but are intended to address routine, low-severity medical situations promptly and ensure that students are not left unattended when they feel unwell.
With an estimated annual expenditure of Rs 48.87 crore, the programme marks a significant financial commitment to student welfare across Delhi's government school system. Its implementation will depend on the timely rollout of facilities, the availability of trained health workers and the readiness of school infrastructure throughout the different phases.
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