SMCH/HCDS/17: Job responsibilities of Health Assistant (Male &Female)

Quadrant-I

Personal Details

Role Name Affiliation

Principal Investigator Prof. CP Mishra Department of Community Medicine,
Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras
Hindu University, Varanasi
Paper Coordinator Prof. Najam Khalique Department of Community Medicine,
J N Medical College, AMU, Aligarh
Assistant Professor
Content Writer Dr. Urfi Department of Community Medicine,
J N Medical College, AMU, Aligarh
Prof. Najam Khalique Department of Community Medicine,
Content Reviewer J N Medical College, AMU, Aligarh

Description of Module

Items Description of Module

Subject name Social Medicine & Community Health
Paper name Health Care Delivery System
Module name/Title Job responsibilities of Health Assistant (Male &Female)
Module Id SMCH/HCDS/17
Pre-requisites Understanding of organization of health system
Objectives To know the Job responsibilities of Health Assistant (Male &Female)
Keywords School Health, Supervision, Team work

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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

Upon completion this module, the reader should be able to enumerate:

 Job Responsibilities of Health assistants (HA) Male.

 Job Responsibilities of Health assistants (HA) Female.

Main text

1. Job Responsibilities of Health assistants (HA), Male

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:

1.1.Supervision and guidance:

• 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:

• Help the health workers to work as part of the health team.

• Coordinate her activities with those of the Health Assistant Female and other health personnel
including the dais and health guide.
• Coordinate the health activities in her area with the activities of workers of other departments
and agencies and attend meeting at PHC level.
• Conduct staff meetings fort nightly with the health workers in coordination with the Health
Assistant Female at one of the sub-centres by rotation.
• Attend staff meetings at the Primary Health Centre.
• Assist the Medical Officer of the Primary Health Centre in conducting training programmes
for various categories of health personnel.

1.3.Supplies, equipment and maintenance of Sub-centres:

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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.

1.4.Records and Reports:

• 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.

1.5.Role of HA in different diseases

 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.

 Where Kala-Azar is endemic additional duties are:

• 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.

He should be alert to the sudden outbreak of epidemics of diseases, such as diarrhoea/dysentery,

fever with rash, jaundice, encephalitis, diphtheria, whooping cough or tetanus poliomyelitis,
tetanus neonatarum, acute eye infections and take all possible remedial measures. He should carry
out the necessary control measures when any noticeable disease is reported to him.Carryout the
destruction of stray dogs with the help of the Health Worker Male.

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.

1.7.Universal Immunization Programme:

• 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:

• Personally motivate resistant case for 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.

2. Job Responsibilities of Health assistants (HA) Female.

Based on the guidelines of Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS). Under the Multipurpose Workers
Scheme a Health Assistant Female is expected to cover a population of 30,000 (20,000 in tribal and
hilly area) there are six Sub-centres, each with the health worker female. The health assistant female
will carry out the following duties in which

2.1.Supervision and guidance:

• 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:

• Help the health workers to work as part of the health team.

• Coordinate her activities with those of the health assistant male and other health personnel
including the dais health guide.
• Coordinate the health activities in her area with the activities of workers of other departments
and agencies and attend meeting at PHC level.
• Conduct regular staff meetings with the health worker in coordination with the Health
Assistant (Male).
• Attend staff meetings at the primary health centre.
• Assist the Medical Officer of the primary health centre in the organization of the different
health services in the area.
• Participate as a member of the health team in mass camps and campaigns in health
programmes.

2.3.Supplies, equipment and maintenance of Sub-centres:

• 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.

2.4.Records and Reports:

• 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.

2.5.Role of HA(Female) in different diseases

 Where Kala-Azar is endemic, additional duties are:

• 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 minimum of 10% of the house in a village to verify that the health
worker female really visited those houses ad carried her job properly. Her job of
identifying suspected Kala-Azar cases and ensuring complete treatment has been done
properly.
• She will carry with her the proper record forms, diary and guidelines for identifying
suspected Kala-Azar cases.
• She will be responsible along with Health Assistant Male for ensuring complete
treatment of Kala-Azar patients in his 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, arrange group meetings with leaders and organizing and conducting
training of community leaders with the assistance of health team.

 Where Japanese Encephalitis is endemic her specific duties are as below:

•
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:

• Ensure early diagnosis of pneumonia cases. Provide suitable treatment to mid/moderate

cases of ARI.
• Ensure early referral in doubtful/severe cases

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.

2.7.Maternal and Child Health:

• 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.

2.10.Universal Immunization Programme:

• 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)..

2.11. School Health:

• Help medical officers in school health services.

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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.

2.13. Health Education:

• 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.