In a big boost to public health system, the government has approved hiring of more than 53500 male health workers for all the sub-health centres (SHC) in 235 high focus districts from the point of view of disease control.

The total costs for providing the male health workers on contract at the 53,544 SHCs in the 235 high focus districts would be Rs 385.52 crore per year and the central government will bear 85 per cent , 75 per cent and 65 per cent share in first three years. The decision was taken by the Mission Steering Group of National Rural Health Mission chaired by the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad and attended by Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj CP Joshi and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia among others, here recently.

The male health worker should be the focal point for all the disease control programmes including malaria, TB, leprosy, filaria and kala-azar as well other preventive health care activities including water testing, chlorination, sanitation and school health. This would also improve maternal and child health care by enabling the ANMs to take up the additional preventive health care tasks such as control of nutritional anaemia and adolescent health care. The presence of a male health worker will also expedite making the SHCs 24x7, said an official release.

The scheme involves, apart from supporting contractual appointments in the identified 235 high focus districts, rejuvenating the multipurpose course for male health worker at all the erstwhile institutions and starting new schools in underserved districts. This also includes stipendiary support of Rs. 500 to the students. The financial implication for assisting the 56 HFW training centres (Rs 59 lakhs each) would be Rs. 33.04 crore. The course content can be revised to meet the present and future requirements of disease control programmes as well as Maternal and Child Health. A sub-committee with representatives of all disease control programmes and HFW training centres from selected States with due representation from high focus districts may be constituted to complete the task within two to three months.