Now, over 53,500 workers at district healthcare facilities

NEW DELHI - In a bid to boost the public healthcare system, the central government has approved hiring of more than 53,500 male workers to run various disease control programmes at health centres across the country under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

The list was finalised at a meeting of the NRHM Tuesday chaired by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and attended by Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj C.P. Joshi and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, an official statement said here Wednesday.

The NRHM was launched in 2005 with an aim to provide affordable healthcare for all in rural areas. These workers will be recruited in 235 districts, identified as ‘focus districts’.

The health workers will be hired on contract basis at an expense of nearly Rs.385 crore per year. The central government will bear a major chunk of this amount for the first three years — 85 percent in the first year, 75 percent in the second year and 65 percent in the third year.

Officials said that the main areas of operation for the health workers will be disease control programmes for malaria, TB, leprosy, filaria, kala-azar and the like as well as other preventive healthcare activities, including water testing, chlorination and sanitation.

The programme also includes reviving a multipurpose course for health workers and starting new schools in underserved districts.

“Nearly 56 health and family welfare training centres will be started at a cost of Rs.59 lakh each. A stipendiary support of Rs.500 will be given to those attending the course,” an official said.