Paramedical Skill Development Training Project

In a one-year project, ‘general duty cum home-based care assistant’ training, being implemented through Family Planning Association of India’s (FPA India) five branches — New Delhi, Mysuru, Gwalior, Mumbai and Madurai — FPA India is training 500 young women and men through specially designed courses. Each branch is to train 100 young people through four batches in one year, with 25 trainees per batch. Each batch will undergo the course for a duration of 4 months, which will be divided into two phases:

Phase I: Theory and practical classes for the first two months.

Phase II: Internship in nursing homes, clinics and hospitals for the following two months.

At the beginning of the project, the team mobilised the community and informed the target population about the training. The branches adopted several steps to do this.

a) Advertisements through newspaper.

b) Distribution of pamphlets.

c) Meeting with youth groups in community and educational centres.

d) Placing posters in and around local eateries, shops and market areas.

e) Using social media (WhatsApp and Facebook) to spread the word.

The four-month-long course includes hands-on practice and classroom teaching on a variety of subjects. The current curriculum was reviewed, updated, translated in regional language and utilised for the courses at all locations. Information on family planning methods, patient management, hygiene and infection, shock management, understanding the human reproductive system, changes that occur during adolescence, gender and diversity, abuse, relationship, communication and decision-making skills, pleasure, and sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS is also being provided to them.

Apart from that, in-house experts and external faculties conduct sessions and trainees / students are provided exposure to hospitals, elderly care centres, nursing homes, clinics, etc. FPA India has strong linkages with government and private hospitals in all the mentioned locations, which is being utilised for internship placement of the trainees.

So far, a total of 375 students have undergone the training and are in different stages in their internship phase, with many of them receiving job offers as well.