Punjab appoints 519 Community Health Officers to strengthen rural healthcare

The state will have a pool of 941 Community Health Officers working in HWC-Sub centers.

Chandigarh: To strengthen the healthcare services in the rural areas across the state, the Health and Family Welfare Minister Mr Balbir Singh Sidhu on Thursday handed over appointment letters to 519 newly appointed Community Health Officers (CHO) during a function at Punjab Health System Corporation (PHSC) auditorium here.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sidhu called upon the newly appointed officers to come forward and live up to their responsibilities at Health and Wellness centers.

Congratulating them, the minister said that it is essential to maintain peoples' confidence and faith in public health services and it can only be achieved through their determination and dedication towards the patients.

He said that Punjab government under the leadership of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has accorded high priority to the public health sector and quality health facilities are being provided to the people under the various health programs and schemes launched by the state government.

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He said the standardized health services in HWCs are being provided through Community Health Officer (CHO) along with team of Multi-Purpose Health Workers (male and female) & ASHAs.

He said that the newly selected officers have been imparted a special training program of 6 months by IGNOU. Notably, 861 sub-centres have already been converted into HWCs and 422 Community Health officers have been posted in these centers. He said that now state will have a pool of 941 CHOs working in HWC-Sub centers.

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