1000 ayurveda doctors clear six-month bridge, designated as MHLPs to join functional HWCs
A batch of about 1000 ayurveda doctors cleared a six-month bridge course that will help the doctors provide basic treatment with modern medicine at HWC (health and wellness centres) run by the state. The candidates have been designated as mid-level health providers (MHLP) have been provided with joining letters from 850 HWCs.
As a part of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the state plans to convert 10,600 sub-centres into HWCs by 2022. At these health centres patients are treated for non-communicable diseases, mother and child health, family planning, contraceptives and basic emergency services. The state plans to hire an MHLP for each wellness centre which would be attached to a higher primary heath centre (PHC). The batch joined the state medical setup at a time when there has been a raging debate at the centre about allowing dentists to work as MHLPs at these centres.
According to Dr Anup Yadava, Commissioner Health and Director National Health Mission ,Mumbai, the state plans to hire 10,000 MHLPs by 2022. These MHLPs will help tackle NCDs like blood pressure and hypertension so that these issues can be detected early and people are treated aptly. He further added that the candidates would be provided with hands-on-training to deal with basic emergencies.
Out of 1250 candidates, 100 candidates didn’t clear the exam. The results of about 170 are held over.
However, if any MHLP decides to quit the job, they have to pay Rs 1 lakh spent on their training.