LexThe Assam Community Health Professionals (Registration and Competency) Act, 2015
Assam · state statute
Open in Lexace · Ask the AI about this act- ci.'istr / c i 4 Registered No.-768/97 THE ASSAM GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY 2lt$ <F^<1 £fatf * *F3 GOVERNMENT OF ASSAM ■ ORDERS BY THE GOVERNOR LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT : :: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH NOTIFICATION The 29th May, 2015 • < No. LGL.179/2014/19 - The following Act of the Assam Legislative Assembly which received the assent of the Governor is hereby published for general information. ASSAM ACT NO. X V OF 2015 (Received the assent of the Governor on 20th May, 2015) THE ASSAM COMMUNITY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS' (REGISTRATION AND COMPETENCY) ACT, 2015 __ PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHORITY ^ 1 3 6 W flSSJN , 29 GJ’ , 2015, 8 CSiX 1937 ( *fa) No. 136 Dispur, Friday. 29th May, 2015, 8th Jaistha, 1937 (S.E.) 254 THE ASSAM GAZETTE, EXTRAORDINARY, MAY 29, 2015 Preamble Short title, extent and commence ment AN ACT ♦ to provide for registration norms and competency of the Community Health Professionals, after passing B.Sc. (Community Health) Course and to give same status to the students who have completed or have been undergoing the Diploma in Medicine and Rural Health Care (DMRHC) course in Medical Institute, Jorhat with that of B.Sc (Community Health) course, to enable them to serve as Paramedical personnel in the State of Assam. Whereas it is expedient to provide for registration norms and competency of the Community Health Professionals, after passing B.Sc (Community Health) course and to give same status to the students who have completed or have been undergoing the Diploma in Medicine and Rural Health Care (DMRHC) course in Medical Institute, Jorhat with that o f B.Sc (Community Health) course, to enable them to serve as Paramedical personnel in the State of Assam and the matters connected therewith or incidental thereto; It is hereby.enacted in the Sixty-sixth Year of the Republic of India as follows 1. (1) This Act may be called the Assam Community Health Professionals' (Registration and Competency) Act, 2015. ... It extends to the whole of Assam. Definitions 2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,- (a) “Act” means the Assam Community Health Professionals' (Registration and Competency) Act, 2015 ; (b) “Certificate” means a Certificate of Registration issued by the Director of Medical Education, Research and Training, Assam under section 3 of this A c t; (c) “Community Health Professionals” means the persons who have been registered as such by the Director and issued a Certificate of Registration in accordance with the provisions of section 3 of this A c t, THE ASSAM GAZETTE, EXTRAORDINARY, MAY 29, 2015 255 (d) “Course” means the prescribed Paramedical Course o f B.Sc (Community Health) or in short B.Sc (CH) as approved by the Union Cabinet, conveyed vide Govt, of India's letter No. DO No. V 11025/40 /2009/ MEP-I Dated 31/12/2013 ; (e) “Director” means the Director of Medical Education, Research and Training, A ssam ; (f) “Government” means the State Government o f Assam; (g) “Rules” means the rules made under this A c t, (h) “State” means the State o f Assam. . Registration 3. (1) Every student who successfully completes the Course from any institution permitted by the Government of Assam to run the Course, ■ . . shall be registered by the Director at Directorate of Medical Education, Assam, Guwahati and shall be issued with a Certificate o f Registration as Community Health Professional. (2) The students who have already completed or have been undergoing the Diploma in Medicine and Rural Health Care (DMRHC) course in the Medical Institute, Jorhat, on the date of commencement of this Act, shall be deemed to have completed or have been undergoing as the case may be, the Paramedical Course o f B.Sc (CH) for the purposes of this Act and shall acquire the same status to that of B.Sc (Community Health) graduates and they shall also be registered by the Director and issued w'ith Certificate o f Registration as Community Health Professionals : Provided that the Certificate of Registration issued by the Director under this sub-section to the students who have already completed Diploma in Medicine and Rural Health Care (DMRHC)course from the Medical Institute, Jorhat, shall be ■ deemed to have been issued by the Director with effect from the date Of issue of their respective Diplomas from the said Institute: Provided further that the students who have been undergoing the Diploma in Medicine and Rural Health Care (DMRHC) course in the Medical Institute, Jorhat on the commencement o f this Act, shall be deemed to have been undergoing the Course as defined under this Act and they shall be issued Certificate of Registration under this Act by the Director on completion o f their Course. 256 THE ASSAM GAZETTE, EXTRAORDINARY, MAY 29, 2015 Duties and Functions of the Community Health Profession als . (1) The Community Health Professionals may be designated as Community Health Officers (CHO) by the Government and shall work at Sub-Centre level and any such places as may be determined by the Government from time to time. (2) Subject to the provisions of this Act and the rules framed there under the Community Health Officers shall discharge their duties and perform their functions as per competency mapping of the B.Sc (CH) Course approved by the Government of India. (3) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provisions of sub-section (2), the Community Health Officers shall be responsible for,- (a) assisting the Medical Officers as per competencies of Community Health Professionals' as laid down in Section 5 of this Act as and when called for in coordination of NHPs, management of ASHAs, Training and other responsibilities under NHM apart from overall administration and Management of CHC etc. and quality and protocols of service delivery being delivered in CHCs; (b) assisting the Medical Officers as per competencies of Community Health Professionals’ as laid down in Section 5 of this Act as and when called for in organizing out-patient, OT, referral, emergency, lab services, guidance in treatment of ailments to PHC staff, coordination with referral institutions, planning and implementation of immunization services, organize training of health workers, implementation of health and other national programmes, act as planner, promoter, director, supervisor, coordinator as well as evaluator etc; (c) assisting the Medical Officers as per competencies of Community Health Professionals’ as laid down in Section 5 of this Act as and when called for in supervising and guiding the health workers, knowledge augmentation and leading the health workers, supplies, equipment and. maintenance of health workers, review and scrutinize reports of health workers, training of dais and ASHA, maternal and child health, family planning and medical termination of pregnancy, nutrition, immunization, health education, primary medical care, school health etc;” (d) immunization, antenatal, natal and postnatal care, prevention of malnutrition and common childhood diseases, family planning services and counseling dai training, health education, notifying diseases to medical officer, recording and reporting vital events, record keeping treatment of minor ailments etc. , THE ASSAM GAZETTE, EXTRAORDINARY, MAY 29, 2015 257 Competencies of 5 the Community Health Professionals (e) treatment of simple ailments and activities in first aid, mother and child health, family planning, health education, sanitation, safe delivery, health check-ups, immunization, referral services, counseling of mother, etc. The competencies for the Community Health Professionals shall be divided into three categories as follows (1) Public Health Competencies (a) To implement National Programmes on the ground with ANMs, health workers, ASHAs and others ; (b) To act in various programmes like,- (i) revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), 00 National Aids Control Programme, Oil) National Diabetes Control Programme, (iv) National Program for Prevention and Control o f Deafness (NPPCD), G) National Tobacco Control Programme, <v i) National Leprosy Eradication Programme, (vii) National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, (viii) National Cancer Registry Programme, (ix) National Mental Health Programme, <x ) Other programmes of the State or Central Governments as may be assigned to them by the Government from time to time ; (c) To perform a supervisory role, supervising the work of ANMs, Health workers and ASHAs ; (d) To perform a supportive role where they act as a source of knowledge providing knowledge augmentation for the health workers, ANMs, ASHAs and others ; (e) To perform integrative work with other national programmes and development teams like,- (i) Agriculture, (ii) ICDS, (iii) Water sanitation, 258 THE ASSAM GAZETTE, EXTRAORDINARY, MAY 29, 2015 Organizational hierarchy, Employer and Compensation for the CHO/S (iv) Nutrition, (v) Natural Calamities, (vi) Others as may be assigned by the Government from time to time ; (f) To perform an Advocacy role to ,- (i) act as a leader and change agent working closely with women's groups, PRIs, NGOs and others, (ii) promote behaviour change for health, (iii) general awareness and knowledge among people. (2) Clinical Competencies:- (a) To provide primary care for simple, uncomplicated common problems of adults and children on purely ambulatory basis at the Sub Centre clinic; (b) To refer all the other cases to physicians and provide facilities after first aid and pre-referral stabilization care, as required ; (c) To dispensing designated drugs prescribed by the physician ; (d) To conduct specified laboratory tests such as malarial parasite, HB test, filarial, TLC, Pap smear, etc. ; (e) To oversee and ensure community-based care of the patients who received out patient or in patient care facility and are now at home. (3) General Competencies:- Apart from the above mentioned public health and clinical competencies the Community Health Professionals should also possess,- (a) good communication skills, both written and verbal, (b) IT skills, i.e. knowing how to operate a computer and performing basic typing and computing activities on it, (c) Managerial Skills such as team building, guiding, resource management etc., (d) Analytical and problem Solving skills. The Organizational hierarchy, employer and compensation in respect of the Community Health Officers shall be as follows:- (1) Organizational Hierarchy:- (a) The ANMs and male health workers shall report to Community Health Officers ; (b) The Community Health Officers shall report to the Medical Officer of the Primary Health Centre (PHC) of the area. (2) Employer:- (a) State Government/Central Government, (b) Non-governmental Organisations and Set-ups working in the field of remote and rural healthcare Set-up and delivery. THE ASSAM GAZETTE, EXTRAORDINARY, MAY 29, 2015 259 Infrastructure for Community Health Officers Admission Guidelines for the B.Sc.(CH) Course Removal of 9 difficulties (3) Compensation,- The Community Health Officers shall be paid a compensation as decided by the Government or the National Health Mission (NHM) from time to time. . The Sub- Centres where Community Health Officers are deployed shall require the following infrastructure (a) Consultation room, (b) Dispensary, (c) Data room, (d) Waiting area with toilet, (e) Furnishings and services such as electricity, water, telephone, computer, internet, (f) Staff like compounder, store clerk, attendant: " • Provided that the above infrastructure requirements shall be augmented using the existing resources without any further need for resources, unless otherwise decided by the Government in due course of time. . The eligibility for admission and selection procedure for admission to the B.Sc. (CH) Course shall be as follows :- (1) Eligibility for admission:- (a) The candidates should have completed 10+2 academic qualification, with science subjects (Physics, Chemistry and Biology), as per the Council of the State o f Assam; (b) The Course is open to both female and male candidates ; (c) The candidates should be within the. age limit of 17 years to 27 years on the 31st day of December of the year of admission in case of General category candidate. The upper age limit shall be relaxable by three years in case of Scheduled castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBC and MOBC candidates: Provided that the Government may revise the upper age limit from time to time by notification to be published in the Official Gazette. (2) Procedure of Selection:- (a) The selection of students shall be made on the basis of merit in 10+2 (Sc) examination marks in the subjects o f Physics, Chemistry and Biology. (b) The admission Brochures containing admission forms and other conditions shall be published by the Director from time to time. (1) If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of this Act, the State Government may by order publish in the Official Gazette make such provisions not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, as may appear to it to be necessary or expedient for removing the difficulty. (2) Every order made under this section shall be laid as soon as may be after it is made before the State Legislature.