MALAPPURAM: The health department in the district which faces shortage of staff and field workers in the midst of rampant diphtheria cases and cholera along with a bunch of other infectious diseases has decided to rope in civil society organisations for the smooth implementation of public health initiatives in the district.
The move is to constitute Health Supporting Groups (HSG) throughout the district to help in implementating the programmes of the health department. The HSGs in collaboration with the district panchayat administration and health department will be given a shape in a meeting to be held on Monday at the district panchayat hall. The District Medical Officer has invited retired health supervisors, health inspectors, junior health inspectors, extension faculties of KILA and Block level literacy assistant preraks besides others.
The HSGs will be given adequate training to undertake the health awareness campaign in their respective areas, said DMO, Dr. V. Ummer Farook. The HSGs are being formed to strengthen the awareness and immunisation drives in the wake of the unprecedented spread of the deadly diphtheria throughout Malappuram and neighbouring districts.
Meanwhile, government doctors have demanded immediate appointment of the much needed staff in the department. They say that temporary arrangements would not help the health drives in the long run. “There are only 589 junior public health nurses in the district for a population of more than 41 lakh. This is a grave situation. The shortage of staff has affected the field level activities throughout the district,” says Dr. K. A Rauf, state secretary, Kerala Government Medical Oficers Association.
