Soon, nurses to be trained as 'community health officers'

MP | 28 May 2022 | Kolkata: In a bid to ensure better treatment in the remote areas where the strength of doctors is still not up to the mark, the state Health department has come up with a unique idea of providing doctor-like training for nursing personnel who will be deployed in Suswasthya Kendras in the villages. 

According to the health department sources, in the initial phase, around 704 nursing professionals will be given special training and will be posted at Suswasthya Kendras as 'community health officers'. The duration of the training will be of around three weeks. These nurses will not be able to write prescriptions or issue death certificates but can provide normal treatment to patients. The state government will soon issue a notification giving the details in this regard. 

The Health officials believe that many patients will be benefited in the far off areas where there is a shortage of doctors. In case of serious treatment, the nursing professionals will seek suggestions from doctors. 

Earlier, the state Health department had imparted training among nursing personnel ahead of the third wave of Covid to provide telemedicine-based health services from various health centres. 

People from the villages availed specialised treatment from their rural health centres. 

Patients requiring any specialised treatment or ordinary ailments used to visit the nearby health centres where the nursing staff would facilitate an online treatment for the patients. They were able to talk to the specialised doctors and inform them about their problems. The doctors, on the other end, used to send prescriptions through WhatsApp. 

The state Health department had sent some nursing teachers to Delhi for special training so that they know various intricate issues of technology-based telemedicine services. 

The main purpose of the move was to ensure that these senior nursing professionals can train other nurses after their return. The state government has set up a robust virtual treatment platform for patients especially after the pandemic broke out. 

Courtesy & source