New Delhi, Jun 16 (IANS): The Delhi government will provide training to 5000 youth, who will be working under the direction of doctors and nurses as health assistants in view of a possible third wave of Covid-19. They will be called community nursing assistants.
Making an announcement through a digital press conference on Wednesday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said these community nursing assistants will be trained in basic nursing, paramedic, lifesaving, first aid, and home care, sample collection, oxygen concentrators and cylinder operations among other things.
The development has come keeping in mind the shortage of medical staff witnessed during the first and second wave of Covid-19.
"In case a third wave emerges, we might also witness a shortage of medical and paramedical staff as we had seen during the second and the first waves. Keeping that in mind, the government has devised a big plan of training 5000 health assistants. They will be trained for two weeks by IP University and the 9 medical institutes of Delhi, where they will be given basic training," Kejriwal added.
The community nursing assistants will work on those tasks assigned to them by the doctors and nurses and will not be able to decide on their own. They will be trained in basic nursing, paramedic, lifesaving, first aid, and home care. They will also be trained in patient care, diaper changing, catheter, bedpan, sample collection, how an oxygen concentrator works, how an oxygen cylinder works, how to put on a mask, etc.
"They will be given a salary according to the number of days they work. So, online applications can be filled starting June 17. Training period will start from June 28 in different batches. 500 people will be trained in each batch," Kejriwal said.
All those who have passed class 12 and are above 18 years of age can apply online and the section will be done on a first come first serve basis.
"I believe this will strengthen our preparation for the third wave as manpower will be available in case a third wave does emerge. I again hope that a third wave does not come about, but as per the information from the UK, a third wave has emerged there. So we should also be fully prepared, keeping in mind the developments all over the world," Kejriwal said.