Improve work conditions of healthcare workers, TN health officers told
Establish a hospital safety committee, along with the police department, to obtain emergency police assistance
Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine
CHENNAI: The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPHPM) has issued the following instructions to all the District Health Officers to improve the working environment of health workers and also enhance the functioning of Primary Health Centres and Sub Health Centres in the State.
1. Display the penalty provisions of the TN Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2008, within the premises of the PHCs and other medical institutions
2. Establish a hospital safety committee, along with the police department, to obtain emergency police assistance
3. Ensure adequate lighting, and regularisation of patients’ entry in primary health facilities
4. No meetings (except in extraordinary cases like health emergency) should be held after office hours or on holidays
5. Since reports on health schemes are uploaded on the respective portals, all reports or details required by officials must be obtained through these portals
6. Do not ask for unnecessary reports and Google Sheets from the personnel except in unavoidable cases
7. Beneficiaries should be encouraged to upload records related to antenatal care, delivery and vaccination related records themselves. By emphasising self-registration wherever possible, field workers can drastically reduce data entry time
8. All employees, including field workers under the control of the health department, should have Face Recognition Attendance System 2.0
9. The Closed User Group facility has been provided to all PHCs to share information. Government employees must not leave the group
10. In SHCs, the electricity bill for the residential area shall be paid by the concerned Village Health Nurses. They don’t have to pay the EB bill for station buildings
11. No medical officers, field workers or ministers are required to spend their own money on any work carried on by this department. All expenses shall be met from the funds allocated by the government and the National Health Mission scheme
12. Maintain transparency in matters including recruitment, promotion, transfer of work, notification of vacancy details, etc.
13. Hold grievance redressal meetings on the 16th of every month at the directorate level and on the 10th of every month at the health sector district level