JOB DESCRIPTION OF LADY HEALTH WORKER (LWH)

Government of the Punjab, Primary & Secondary Healthcare Department issued a notification regarding Job Description of Lady Health Worker (LHW) in accordance with Essential Package of Health Services.

• No.DS(VP)/1-1/17(IRMNCH) The job description of Lady Health Workers (LHWs) in accordance with Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS) notified by the Department of Health on 14th February, 2014 vide letter No.SO(H&D)7-2/2014 as well as mentioned in the approved PC-I of IRMNCH & Nutrition Program is to provide PHC services to the communities in her catchment area. These include:

1. To register all eligible couples for child spacing interventions i.e. a man married to a woman of age between 15-49 years and maintain up to date information of eligible couples and registration of adolescence girls of kachi abadies/Urban slums;
2. To form women group in her area. She will arrange meetings of these women groups on fortnightly basis to discuss family planning, immunization, antenatal and postnatal examination, growth monitoring of children, diarrhea, ARI, iodized salt, tuberculosis, etc. Preferably one topic will be discussed in one meeting.
3. She will keep close liaison with influential women of her area including lady teachers, community midwives, traditional birth attendants and satisfied clients.
4. She will visit 7-10 households every day to ensure that all registered households are visited once every month. During these household visits she will discuss importance of family planning, Immunization, growth monitoring of children, iodized salt, personal hygiene, better nutrition, sanitation, antenatal and post natal examination, prevention and control of hepatitis and tuberculosis, etc.;
5. To coordinate with community midwives and other skilled birth attendants and local health facilities for referrals.
6. She will register all pregnant women in her area and will conduct antenatal care as described in her training and will refer the women to CMW/Health Facility for antenatal care and preparations for delivery.
7. Act as a liaison between formal health system and her community;
8. As part of their tasks, LHWs will undertake nutritional Interventions such as anemia control, growth monitoring, assessing common risk factors causing malnutrition and nutritional counseling. They will treat iron deficiency anemia among all women including adolescent girls especially pregnant and lactating mothers as well as anemic young children;
9. LHWS will promote nutritional education with emphasis on early initiation of breastfeeding i.e, within one hour after birth, exclusive breastfeeding for six months, adequate weaning practices, improving matemal nutrition and preventing macronutrient malnutrition;
10. To establish vaccination post and to vaccinate children and women in coordination with area Vaccinator.
11. The LHWs shall also participate in various campaigns for Immunization against EPI target diseases e.g. polio, MNT, measles etc. In her catchment's area only. The LHWs will be involved in the surveillance activities in her catchment's area.
12. To motivate and counsel clients for adoption and continuation of family planning methods, she will provide condoms, oral pills and administer injectable contraceptives (second dose), to eligible couples in the community and refer them to CMW and health facility.
13. To refer clients needing IUD Insertions, contraceptive surgery to the nearest Government health facility preferably to CMW, BHU and RHC for IUD insertion and THQH / DHQH for surgery.
14. To carry out prevention and referral for treatment of common ailments c.g. diarrheal disease, acute respiratory infections, tuberculosis, Intestinal parasites, malaria, primary eye care, scables. First aid for injuries and other minor diseases using basic essential drugs (not requiring medical prescription, such as Paracetamol, LoORS, Zinc, etc). She will refer cases to nearest centers as per given guidelines. For this purpose a kit of certain Inexpensive basic medicines will be provided to LHW.
15. LHWS will also be involved in TB, AIDS, Hepatitis and Malaria prevention and control.
16. To attend monthly continuing education session at her base facility to share progress regarding all activities carried out by her including the home visits, number of family planning acceptors by methods and stock position of contraceptives. She will also attend education session, submit her monthly report and collect one month supplies from the FLCF.