For families
If you were given a slip
A red-flag slip is an invitation to be looked at carefully. It is not a diagnosis, and it is not bad news. This page answers the questions families ask most.
1 · Questions families ask
The worker gave us a slip. Does my child have a disease?
No. The slip does not say your child has a disease. It says something was noticed that a doctor should look at properly. Most children who are checked turn out to be fine.
What should we carry to the hospital?
This slip, the immunisation card, the growth chart, any old hospital papers or reports, and photographs of any relative with a similar problem. Old papers save weeks.
Will this cost money?
Screening and the district hospital visit are part of the government child health programme. Ask the DEIC staff about travel support and about the funding available under the National Policy for Rare Diseases before you agree to any private test.
Is my information stored somewhere?
The screening app keeps nothing on the internet. Whatever the worker typed stays on that one phone. The paper slip in your hand is your copy, and you decide who sees it.
Nobody has called us back. What do we do?
Go back to the worker who gave you the slip and ask them to check the referral register. A referral that no one follows is the most common reason a child is missed.
2 · Ask the doctor these four things
- 1
What exactly did you notice in my child?
- 2
What is the next test, and when?
- 3
Who do I phone if the appointment is missed?
- 4
Could this affect my other children?