From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, May 31: The National Health Mission (NHM), Karnataka commenced a six-month Bridge Programme (Certificate) in community health for nurses in collaboration with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India here on Tuesday.

The Bridge Programme (certificate) in community health for nurses is a step forward in ensuring free universal access to comprehensive primary healthcare in rural remote areas and strengthen the skills of graduate nurses.

Dr Shalini Rajneesh, principal secretary health and family welfare, inaugurated the programme for the states of Odisha, Karnataka and Telangana falling in southern regional zone of IGNOU.

Dr Rathan Kelkar, mission director, National Health Mission, Karnataka addressed the gathering and shared the long term vision of this new programme.

Dr Pity Koul, director School of Health Sciences IGNOU Delhi and Dr G H Imrapur, regional director IGNOU regional centre Bengaluru led the orientation workshop of academic counsellors following the inauguration ceremony.

Dr Shalini Rajneesh said this training of nurses is part of the Karnataka’s healthcare sector reforms in implementing the pilots of Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC) for ensuring Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

The objective of UHC is to make good quality medical treatment accessible, affordable for the millions who have been excluded due to prohibitive healthcare costs. While doing so it is also important that there is emphasis on wellness and prevention and minimize the levels of illness itself in the community.

To deliver high quality Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC) in rural remote areas, the trained nurses are positioned as community health officers and posted in Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs).

HWC is an innovative move announced by MoHFW, GOI to transform the health sub-centre covering 5,000 population as a close home health facility to provide affordable, wide range good quality healthcare services by public health system for the marginalized and vulnerable population. The trained nurses at HWCs will offer prevention, screening, treatment services and follow up of care with the existing team of ASHAs and Junior Health Assistants.

A package of CPHC services will be provided at HWCs; ranging from the reproductive, maternal, new born, child and adolescent healthvare (RMNCH+A), management of communicable diseases, acute simple illnesses, comprehensive management of non-communicable diseases (NCD) (diabetes, hypertension, COPD, common cancers etc), basic ophthalmic care services, basic ENT care services, screening and basic management of mental health ailments, geriatric care and dental health.

The services provided in HWCs will also use the digital platforms to improve linkages with higher facilities for care coordination and track outputs. The PHC medical officer remains as the leader of the primary healthcare team and will continue to diagnose and treat the diseases; while presence of nurses at HWCs will extend the coverage of the primary health services close to the households of vulnerable sections of the society.

The service delivery through these nurses will be first initiated in 65 and 40 HWCs in T Narasipura and Lingasagur taluks of Mysuru and Raichur districts respectively. NHM Karnataka has also submitted a proposal to MoHFW-GOI for a scale up of HWCs in two taluks each of Bidar, Bellary, Koppal, Kalaburgi, Raichur and Yadgir districts of the Hyderabad Karnataka region. State NHM is also working in collaboration with the Public Health Foundation of India- its identified 'Knowledge Partner' to take this initiative forward.