Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Job Responsibilities of Health Assistant (Male &female)
Job Responsibilities of Health Assistant (Male &female)
Quadrant-I
Personal Details
Description of Module
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Introduction
Recognizing the fact that logistic provision, monitoring and supervision are critical inputs in optimal
functioning of primary health centre post of health assistants (male and female) has been created in
the organizational set up of Primary Health Centre. They perform diverse functions.
Learning Outcomes
Main text
Based on the guidelines of Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS).Under the Multipurpose workers
scheme a health assistant male is expected to cover a population of 30,000 (20,000in tribal and hilly
areas) in which there are six sub-centres, each with the health worker male.
The Health Assistant Male will carry out the following duties:
• Supervise and guide the Health Worker male, in the delivery of health care service to the
community
• Strengthen the knowledge and skills of the health worker male.
• Help the Health Worker Male in improving his skills in working in the community.
• Help and guide the Health Worker Male in planning and organizing her programmes of
activities.
• Visit each Health Worker Male and at least on a fixed day to observe and guide him in his day
to day activities
• Assess monthly the progress of work of the Health Worker Male and submit with assessment
report to the Medical Officer of the Primary Health Centre.
• Carry out supervisory home visits in the area of the health worker male once a week .
1.2.Team Work:
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• In collaboration with the Health Assistant Female, check at regular intervals the stores
available at the Sub-centre and ensure timely placement of indent for and procure the supplies
and equipment in good time.
• Check that the drugs at the Sub-centre are properly stored and that the equipment is well
maintained
• Ensure that the Health Worker Male maintains his general kit proper way.
• Scrutinize the maintenance of records by the Health Worker Male and guide her in their
proper maintenance.
• Review records received from the Health Worker Male, consolidate them and submit reports
to the medical officer of the primary health centre.
Malaria:
• He will supervise the work of Health Worker Male during concurrent visits and will check
whether the worker is performing his duty as laid down in the schedule.
• He should check minimum of 100 of the houses in a village to verify the work of the Health
Worker Male.
• He will carry with him a kit for collection of blood smears during his visit to the field and
collect thick and thin smears from any fever case he comes across and he will administer
presumptive treatment of prescribed dosage of anti-malarial drugs. area. He will plan, execute
and supervise the administration of radical treatment in consultation with PHC medical
officer.
• Supervise the spraying of insecticides during local spraying along with the Health Worker
Male.
• He will supervise the work of Health Worker Female during concurrent visit and will check
whether the worker is performing her duties.
• He should check minimum of 10% of the house in a village to verify that the Health Worker
Male really visited those houses and carried her job properly. His job of identifying suspected
Kala-Azar cases and ensuring complete treatment has been done properly.
• He will carry with him the proper record forms, diary and guidelines for identifying
suspected Kala-Azar cases.
• He will be responsible for ensuring complete coverage treatment of KalaAzar patients in his
area.
• He will be responsible for ensuring complete coverage during the spray activities and search
operation.
• He will also undertake health education activities particularly through interpersonal
communication, arranging group meetings with leaders and organizing and conducting
training of community leaders with the assistance of health team
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Where Japanese Encephalitis is endemic her specific duties are as below:
• He will supervise the work of Health Worker Female during concurrent visit and will check
whether the worker is performing her duties.
• He should check minimum of 10% of the house in a village to verify that the health worker
male really visited those houses and carried her job properly. His job of identifying suspected
encephalitis cases and ensuring motivation of community has been done properly.
• He will carry with him the proper record forms, diary and guidelines for identifying suspected
encephalitis cases.
• He will carry with him the proper record forms, diary and guidelines for identifying search
operation.
• He will also undertake health education activities particularly through interpersonal
communication, arranging group meetings with leaders and organizing and conduction
training of community leaders with the assistance of health team.
Leprosy:
• In cases suspected of having leprosy take skin smears and send them for examination.
• Ensure that all case of leprosy take regular and complete treatment and inform the medical
officer PHC about any defaulters to treatment.
Tuberculosis:
• Check whether all cases under treatment for tuberculosis are taking regular treatment,
motivate defaulters to take regular treatment and bring them to the notice of the Medical
Officer, PHC.
• Ensure that all cases of tuberculosis take regular and complete treatment and inform the
Medical Officer, PHC about any defaulters to treatment.
1.6.Environmental Sanitation:
• Help the community sanitation: Safe water sources, Soakage pits, Kitchen gardens, Manure
pits, Compost pits, Sanitary latrines, Smokeless chulhas and supervise their construction.
• Supervise the chlorination of water sources including wells.
• Conduct immunization of all school going children with the help of the Health Workers
Female.
• Supervise the chlorination of water sources including wells.
1.8.Family Planning:
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• Guide the Health Worker Male in establishing female depot holders with the assistance of the
Health Workers Male and supervise the functioning
• Assist M.O. PHC in organization of family planning camps and drives.
• Provide information on the availability of services for medical termination of pregnancy and
refer suitable cases to the approved institutions.
• Ensure follow up of all cases of vasectomy, tubectomy, IUD and other family planning
acceptors.
• Supervise and guide the Health Worker Female, Dais and guide ASHA in the delivery of
health care service to the community.
• Strengthen the knowledge and skills of the health worker female.
• Helps the Health Worker Female in improving her skills in working in the community.
• Help and guide the Health Worker Female in planning and organizing her programmes of
activities.
• Visit each sub-centre at least once a week on a fixed day to observe and guide the Health
Worker Female in her day to day activities.
• Assess fort nightly the progress of work of the Health Worker Female and submit with respect
to their duties under various National Health Programmes.
• Carry out supervisory home visits in the area of the Health Worker Female with respect to
their duties under various national health programmes.
• Supervise referral; of all pregnant women for RPR testing at PHC.
2.2.Team Work:
• In collaboration with the health assistant male, check at regular intervals the stores available
at the sub-centre and help in the procurement of supplies and equipment.
• Check that the drugs at the sub-centre are properly stored and that the equipment is well
maintained.
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• Ensure that the health worker female maintains her general kit and midwifery kit and Dai kit
in the proper way.
• Ensure that the sub-centre is kept clean and is properly maintained.
• Scrutinize the maintenance of records by the Health Worker Female and guide her in their
proper maintenance.
• Review reports received from the Health Workers Female, consolidate them and submit
monthly reports to the medical officer of the primary health centre.
•
She will supervise the work of health worker female during concurrent visit and will
check whether the worker is performing her duties.
• She should check along with minimum of 10% of the house in a village to verify that the
health worker female really visited those houses and carried her job properly. Her job of
identifying suspected JE cases and ensuring complete treatment has been done properly.
• She will carry with her the proper record forms, diary and guidelines for identifying
suspected JE cases.
• She will be responsible for ensuring complete treatment of JE patients in her area.
• She will be responsible along with health assistant male for ensuring complete coverage
during the spray activities and search operation.
• She will also undertake health education activities particularly through interpersonal
communication, arranging group meetings with leaders and organizing and conduction
training of community leaders with the assistance of health team.
Acute Respiratory Infection:
2.6.Training:
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• Organize and conduct training for dais/ASHA with the assistance of the health worker female.
• Assist the medical officer of the primary health centre in conducting training programme for
various categories of health personnel.
• Conduct weekly MCH clinics at each sub-centre with the assistance of the health worker
female and dais
• Respond to calls from the health worker female, the health worker male, the health guides and
the trained dais and render the necessary help.
• Conduct deliveries when required at PHC level and provide domiciliary and midwifery
services.
2.8.Family Planning and Medical Termination of Pregnancy:
• She will ensure through spot checking that health worker female maintains up-to date eligible
couple registers all the times.
• Conduct weekly family planning clinics along with the MCH clinics at each Sub-centre with
the assistance of the health worker female.
• Personally motivate resistant case for family planning
• Provide information on the availability of services for medical termination of pregnancy and
for sterilization. Refer suitable cases for MTP to the approved institution.
• Guide the health worker female in establishing female depot holders for the distribution of
conventional contraceptives and train the depot holders with the assistance of the health
workers female.
• Provide IUD services and their follow up.
• Assist M.O. PHC in organization of family planning camps and drives.
• Guide the health worker female in establishing female depot holders for the distribution of
conventional contraceptives and train the depot holders with the assistance of the health
workers female.
• Provide IUD services and their follow up.
• Assist M.O. PHC in organization of family planning camps and drives.
2.9.Nutrition:
• Ensure that all cases of malnutrition among infants and young children (0-5years) are given
the necessary treatment and advice and refer serious cases to the primary health centre.
• Ensure that iron and folic acid vitamin A are distributed to the beneficiaries as prescribed.
• Educate the expectant mother regarding breast feeding.
• Supervise the immunization of all pregnant women and children (0-5 years).
• She will also guide the H.W. female to procure supplies organize immunization camps
provide guidance for maintaining cold chain, storage of vaccine, health education and also in
immunizations.
• Supervise the immunization of all pregnant women and infants.
• Follow the directions given in Manual of Health Worker (female under national immunization
programme)..
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2.12. Primary Medical Care:
• Ensure treatment for minor ailments provide ORS and first aid for accidents and Emergencies
and refer cases beyond her competence to the primary health centre or nearest
hospital.
• Carry out educational activities for MCH, Family Planning, Nutrition and Immunization,
Control of blindness, Dental care and other National Health Programmes like leprosy and
Tuberculosis with the assistance of the Health Worker Female.
• Arrange group meetings with the leaders and involve them in spreading the message for
various health programmes.
• Organize and conduct training of women leaders with the assistance of the Health Worker
Female.
• Organize and utilize Mahila Mandal, Teachers and other women in the Community in the
family welfare programmes, including ICDS personnel.
Summary
The health assistant (male) provides supervision and guidance to health worker (male), help and
coordinate team work, maintains supplies and equipments, maintains records, plays an active role in
prevention and control of communicable and vector borne diseases including immunisation,
environmental control measures. The health assistant (female) in addition to above carries other
responsibilities of provision of MCH services, nutrition, health education, school health etc.
Reference:
• Indian Public Health Standards guidelines for Primary Health Centre, 2012.