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The paramedical field staff
and their first level supervisors are the only face of the government's
health services that most people see.
Primary health care without a well-trained paramedical field cadre
is inconceivable. It is unrealistic to expect any significant shift
towards institutional deliveries without much greater confidence or skills
then they have at present. Indeed as a general rule, any facility (PHC or
above) where not even a single delivery has been conducted or any ANM who
has not assisted in any delivery has almost invariably got a skill
problem, which is being perceived as a motivation problem. Moreover unless
this peripheral staffs have the skills to deliver services in all their
work areas as well as to respond to people’s immediate health needs
irrespective of their department assigned roles, the credibility of the
health system in the public would be undermined. Further, most of the
promotional aspects of primary health care such as childcare and
contraceptive counselling is done by female MPWs and their skills in
counselling and planning their schedules needs to be strengthened.
Presently thrust and
attention has been focused so far on increasing the facilities such as CHC,
SHC buildings and equipment. This of course needs to be done, but unless
the quality of personnel is addressed concurrently these facilities lie
unused. Looking at these needs, SHRC under sector investment programme has
done an extensive workforce management study in the state of
Chhattisgarh,based on the recommendations arising from this study, the
department of health and family welfare, government of Chhattisgarh has adopted a training policy
so as to ensure that the public health system has the necessary knowledge
and skills for its effective functioning. The goal of such a training
policy is to ensure that all the health care facilities – Sub-Center,
PHC, CHC, District Hospital, and ISM Dispensary and hospital, have the
requisite skills needed for full capacity utilization and effectiveness.
Continuous high quality training remains one of the weakest links in the
present system. Training is needed for reinforcing skills and for
upgrading them.
The
State has adopted a training policy but is no institution entrusted with
implementing it. Looking at the need, building for SIHFW has been
constructed under externally aided program, now the challenge is to
operationalise it.
The
State health resource centre has been entrusted to make this functional.
Steps taken in this direction include
1.
Appointment
of consultant /nodal person for coordinating the activities.
2.
Process for registration of SIHFW as an autonomous body.
3.
Process for setup creation of SIHFW
4.
Process for getting interior done for optimum and effective use of
space.
5.
Commencement of training program
SHRC
is envisaged to play a key role in the functioning of SIHFW in the coming
days
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