Nurses called to commit for ensuring quality health care delivery in Nagaland

Kohima, April 30 (MExN): National Health Mission (NHM), Department of Health & Family Welfare (DoHFW) in collaboration with Jhpiego-Nagaland Team organised a five days each two batch training on expanded packages of services under Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC) for staff nurses posted at Ayushman Bharat- Health & Wellness Center-PHC from the districts of Mokokchung, Mon, Longleng, Kiphire, Dimapur and Kohima. 

It will be followed by the training of nurses from the remaining districts. The inaugural function was held at the conference hall of DoHFW, Kohima, stated a press release received here. 

Dr Akuo Sorhie, Mission Director, National Health in her keynote address appealed the nurses present to commit in ensuring quality health care to our citizen by transforming public health care delivery system in our State.

She stated that Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) have been conceptualised to provide Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC), which ensures the highest possible level of health and well-being at all ages, through a set of preventives, promotive, curative and rehabilitative services.

With the epidemiological transition and increased burden of non-communicable diseases in India, it is critical that a more comprehensive gamut of services is delivered at the patients’ first point of contact with the health system, she remarked. 

“The service packages in the existing health facilities have been Reproductive and Child Health centric. However, under this initiative, the HWCs would provide comprehensive primary health services which will include components of non-communicable diseases, ophthalmic, ENT, oral health, palliative and geriatric care, emergency and trauma care, screening and management of basic mental health ailments much beyond the existing RMNCH+A services,” she stated.

Bringing healthcare closer to the people 
Delivering an overview of CPHC, Dr Mereninla Senlem, State Program Officer, NHM stated that the program is intended in reducing out-of -pocket expenses and bringing healthcare closer to the doorstep of the people. She mentioned that, with the paradigm shift in our health scenario Non Communicable Diseases have been added to the packages of service provided in the HWCs.

One important concept of the CHPC is, point of care and continuum of care and for which, the personnel at the Health Units have to work as a team, she added.

Dr R Chubala Aier, Additional Director & SPO of National Vector Borne Disease Control Program giving an update on the Vector Borne scenario in the State said, ‘our country is at the call of elimination of Malaria by 2030 and that, our state is one of the fore-runner for this elimination and one of the best performing state amongst the north-eastern states.’

She requested the participants present to work towards prevention of vector borne diseases before the onset of Monsoon in the State by sensitizing the people especially at the grassroots level on preventive measures and most importantly on the services available at the Health Units.

Dr Vizokholo Theyo, State Program Officer, National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) & Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Program (PMNDP) mentioned that the program goal is to eliminate TB by 2025. She gave a brief insight on the Cough App which is to be installed in all the HWCs by this year through which any patients with history of cough will be screened and of Hand held X-Ray with Artificial Intelligence has been installed in NHAK and this machine will be provided to other Districts in the coming years. 

Dr Vizokholo also talked about the CDST Lab (Culture & Drugs Susceptibility Testing Lab) established in NHAK and whereby samples testing are done in the State. She added that, we are looking more at the preventive approach so that Universal Health Coverage and Health For all is achieved.

During the five-day, the Staff Nurses will be trained on the 12 expanded  packages  of services viz. Care in Pregnancy and Child-birth, Neonatal and Infant Health Care Services, Childhood and Adolescent Health Care Services, Family Planning, Contraceptive Services  and other Reproductive Health Care Services, Management of  Communicable Diseases: National Health Programmes, General Out-patient Care for Acute Simple Illnesses and Minor Ailments, Screening, Prevention, Control and Management of Non-communicable Diseases, Care for Common Ophthalmic and ENT Problems, Basic Oral Health Care, Elderly and Palliative Health Care Services, Emergency Medical Services including Burns and Trauma, Screening and Basic Management of Mental Health Ailments.

This training  will also be taken as a part of Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) and the Nagaland Nursing Council (NNC) has awarded  24 credit hours for the trainee (staff nurses) participating in this training, the release added.