All ASHAs to be certified by July 2021; Provide adequate facilities at UPHCs: Atal Dulloo

Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo, today directed the authorities to ensure that certification of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) is completed by July 2021. He issued these directions while chairing a meeting held to review the ASHA certification programme at Civil Secretariat here.

The meeting was attended by Director Health Services, Jammu, Dr Renu Khajuria; Mission Director, National Health Mission, J&K Bhupinder Kumar; Director (Coordination) New Medical Colleges Jammu, Dr Yashpal Sharma; Joint Director (Planning) H&ME, Madan Lal and other senior officers. Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) from Kashmir division attended the meeting through video conferencing.

Describing ASHAs as a link between health department and the community, the FC laid emphasis on further strengthening of the link for effective delivery of health services. He said ASHA is the link through which we cater to healthcare needs of the people and proper emphasis should be laid on the training of ASHAs, besides monitoring the process on a regular basis.

He said that the department is targeting that 3000 ASHAs would appear in the All India Level ASHA Certification Examination in January 2020 by National Institute of Open Schooling to create a pool of health activists in the UT. He said that focus should be that no ASHA is left uncertified in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

It was informed that 700 AHSAs were trained during July 2019 session, but could not appear in the examination due to cancellation of NIOS exam in J&K and now they would appear in the exams to be conducted in January 2020.

ASHA certification is a tripartite arrangement between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, National Health Systems Resource Centre and the National Institute of Open Schooling to undertake the process of accreditation of trainers and training sites and certification for ASHAs, intended to ensure improvement in the quality of training and enable desired programme outcomes.

The FC was informed that two State (Regional) Training Sites, each in Jammu and Kashmir and four District Training Sites, two each in Jammu and Kashmir, have been accredited by NIOS.

It was also given out in the meeting that 7 State Trainers are certified and 10 Junior State Trainers have been trained and certified by NIOS. It was also informed that budget has been released for conducting refresher training of ASHAs along with the advisory for proper utilization of funds.

It was informed that the 10 day refresher training of AHSAs has already been started at various districts while the remaining districts would be covered soon.

In another meeting, Atal Dullo reviewed the status of National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) and directed the authorities to improve the health status of Urban population with special focus on vulnerable sections of the society. He directed the authorities to fulfill all the vacancies in the Urban Public Health Centres (UPHCs) by January 2020.

He also directed the authorities to identify 10 Urban Health Centres in Jammu where facilities like Ultrasonography, ECG, X-ray, laboratory investigations will be provided to the people by April 2020.

Pertinently, NUHM is being implemented in the twin capital cities of Jammu and Kashmir and 5 towns of Baramulla, Sopore, Anantnag, Kathua and Udhampur.

The FC was informed that out of 49 UPHCs, 13 are functioning as Health and Wellness Centres. It was also informed that 25 UPHCs of Srinagar are providing Laboratory Investigation Services, 11 UPHCs in Srinagar are providing USG services and 9 have X-ray facilities besides 12 having ECG facilities.

The meeting was attended by Director Health Services, Jammu, Dr Renu Khajuria; Mission Director, National Health Mission, J&K Bhupinder Kumar; Director (Coordination) New Medical Colleges Jammu, Dr Yashpal Sharma; Joint Director (Planning) H&ME, Madan Lal and other senior officers while officers from Kashmir division attended the meeting though video conferencing.