Jeypore: Dec, 23: A one-day health training programme was successfully organised at the Community Health Centre, Dasamantapur, under the Community Leadership Project for continuous improvement of tribal health. The programme was implemented by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Jeypore, Koraput district, with support from the Gates Foundation.
Participants included health personnel selected from 12 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs of Dasamantapur block in Koraput district. A total of 5 Community Health Officers, 5 male health workers, and 12 female health workers took part in the training. With the support of the Gates Foundation, the project is working to address health challenges in tribal-dominated areas.
The refresher training programme, held at Dasamantapur on the 31st, focused specifically on all 12 essential primary healthcare services. Through this initiative, participants sought to better understand village-level health challenges and explored practical solutions to strengthen healthcare delivery in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
The main objective of the programme was to ensure effective delivery of quality healthcare services to the tribal and marginalised population of Dasamantapur block. In-charge Community Health Officer Diptikanta Nayak encouraged the participants during the training. Experts from the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, including Shri Asit Mansingh, State Project Coordinator Shri J. Sunil Kumar, and the Block Coordinator, provided training to the participants.
The training witnessed enthusiastic participation from all attendees. Participants expressed that such training programmes are extremely necessary and should be conducted at regular intervals. Health workers actively discussed various challenges they face at the village level and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn new skills each time.
They also noted that repeated training enhances their confidence, motivation, and ability to deliver health promotion activities and routine services more effectively. Such initiatives play a vital role in strengthening the local health system and bridging gaps in service delivery at the community level.
The District Chief Medical Officer and other district officials extended strong support for the successful organisation of the programme. Under the leadership of Deputy Director Dr. Suryakanta Behera, several initiatives have already been launched under this project to improve primary healthcare services in Dasamantapur and Lamtaput blocks.
With continued efforts and collaboration, it is hoped that the tribal-dominated Koraput district will emerge as a model district in Odisha for strengthening the primary healthcare system. The organisers and participants expressed hope that similar training programmes will continue in the future as well.