The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has introduced a bridge programme in ‘community health and nursing’, in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The programme is aimed at improving knowledge, skills and competencies of working nurses, RNRM and Ayurveda practitioners to enable them to serve as mid-level providers (MLPS) for strengthening the primary healthcare services across the country.
This six-month programme is offered to the working Nurses and the RNRMs who are sponsored by the State governments with the support of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The regional centre of IGNOU in Visakhapatnam has set up five study centres for this programme in the five north coastal districts in its jurisdiction.
The Directorate of Public Health and Family Welfare and State government have already selected the candidates who have been allotted to their respective study centres. The classes will begin from Friday.
The students shall be provided intensive practical training by posting them at district hospitals, community health centres, PHCs, sub-centres and urban PHCs for 50 days, covering different departments.
Study centres
The study centres include Government College of Nursing in Srikakulam, District Hospital in Vizianagaram, Government College of Nursing in Visakhapatnam, Government College of Nursing at Kakinada and District Hospital at Eluru.
On completion of the bridge programme, the participants will be appointed as mid-level providers by the State government at PHCs.
