With the move, the government hopes to curb the existing maternal and neonatal mortality rate and improve health status of people.[break]
The Child Health Division (CHD), which is under Department of Health Services (DoHS), on Thursday gave a nod to One Heart World Wide, an NGO, to launch a mobile health pilot program.
"The program will be extended if the pilot program yields positive results," Dr Taranath Pokhrel, chief of CHD, said. He said that the health workers, including the FCHVs, will have easy access to the health officials at the center and the districts. The FCHVs are instrumental to the country´s aim to achieve the Millennium Development Goals as committed with international partners.
"Simple mobile sets will be distributed to the health workers," said Surya Bhatta, One Heart´s country manager.
He said that the phones will have customized apps so that the FCHVs need not have to type anything. "They only have to select a message and send," Bhatta added.
The organization hopes to tie up with Nepal Telecom for a free SMS service for health workers on grounds that it is a social service.
"In case of a health emergency, an FCHV can send SMS to the centre and the district health office," Bhatta said, adding, "It will prompt immediate actions." People have been dying in the far-flung areas in the absence of proper communication system.
The organization said that the program will be launched in four VDCs of Baglung District in the second week of February. Payupatta, Hatia, Batakachaur and Kumbhasera VDC´s have been selected for the piloting, the organization said.
The organization has been asked to submit a final assessment report of its pilot program within five months.
An official at CHD said that the office has already started the SMS reporting system. In the recently concluded measles-rubella (MR) campaign, the CHD has taken the reports through SMS.
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