PALLI CHIKITSAK (VILLAGE MEDICS)

The Ministry of Health and Population Control (MHPC) will implement the project with USAID technical assistance to address six current program weaknesses: (1) A National Training Center (NTC) will be established in Dacca to prepare 325 thana (county) Medical Officers for their role as PC trainers and to offer short orientation workshops to other thana, district, and MHPC personnel. (2) The current PC training curriculum will be reviewed and revised into modules based on technical skill requirements. Bengali-language manuals and supplementary materials as well as audiovisual materials and other teaching aids will be produced. (3) An in-service Recertification Course will be developed and administered in biannual 3-week sessions at the 74 permanent Thana Health Complexes (THC) to upgrade the skills of 33,750 previously graduated PC"s and provide them with new manuals, record books, and blood pressure instruments. The project will fund participants" travel and per diem expenses. (4) To correct previous program neglect, a supplementary program will be developed to train 5,000 female PC"s in midwifery and family planning (MFP). Forty MHPC female doctors or paramedics will participate in a 6-8 week, third-country (probably India) training course and in-country workshops to develop the needed teaching expertise. They will design a curriculum, training manuals, and a midwifery kit to be distributed to MFP trainees. (5) Short program monitoring workshops will be held at the NTC to orient Thana Health Administrators who will thrice yearly supervise 1-2 day meetings in which they will review PC patient records, discuss current problems, and provide new instructional materials. (6) Finally, semi-permanent hostels will be constructed at the 74 permanent THC"s to house PC trainees. Attached to the project paper is a bibliography (PD-AAI-442-A1).