Soon, traditional birth attendants (daiis) and compounders may be integrated into the health workforce in suitable capacities as pharmacists, physician assistants, ANMs.
Considering that these large number of non-qualified practitioners are present to address an unfulfilled demand of ambulatory care, particularly in the rural areas, the Planning Commission has recommended to get them into the formal system.
“An option is to give these practitioners, depending on their qualifications and experience, an opportunity to get trained and integrate them into the health workforce,” said the Planning Commission document.
The Plan panel has also said that the other categories of skilled health workers such as physician assistants should be encouraged as they help increase the productivity of the medical team.
The experts have recommended upgradation of existing district hospitals into “district knowledge centres” where medical, nursing and para-medical teaching and refresher courses can occur side by side with patient care. These centres, according to various experts, will create sufficient teaching capacity for such newer categories of health workers.
“The community health centres will also be gradually developed as training centres. The long-term goal should be to build at least one training centre in each district and one para-medical training centre in each sub-division,” adds the document.