Women from economically weaker families to get training as community health entrepreneurs

Noida's administration is training women from laborer families as community health entrepreneurs to enhance healthcare access for underserved workers.

NOIDA: The Gautam Budh Nagar administration has launched a programme that will train women from labourers’ families to become community health entrepreneurs while improving healthcare access among unorganised workers and underserved communities, said officials on Thursday.

The initiative is part of the administration’s plan to train women from labourer families in the primary healthcare and medical screening. (HT Archive)

The initiative is part of the administration’s plan to train women from labourer families in the primary healthcare and medical screening, they added.

Under the programme, the women will be trained to work as “Sadhika” or community health entrepreneurs, enabling them to provide basic healthcare support and awareness services within their neighbourhoods while also creating livelihood opportunities for themselves, said officials.

The initiative is part of a five-year partnership signed between the Gautam Budh Nagar district administration and Samyak–Collective Good Foundation (CGF) on Wednesday.

“The administration and the foundation will jointly work towards developing a more accessible and community-based healthcare support system for labour families, many of whom struggle with limited access to regular medical care,” district magistrate Medha Roopam said in a statement on Thursday.

Officials said the women associated with labour households will be trained in the use of basic medical devices and primary healthcare practices so that they can assist families within their communities and encourage early health intervention.

The programme will focus on improving the reach of healthcare services, awareness campaigns and government welfare schemes among informal workers and vulnerable sections of society.

“The initiative would strengthen institutional coordination and community participation for the welfare of unorganised workers. The partnership will help improve access to primary healthcare services and promote dignity and welfare of unorganised workers through community-based support systems,” Roopam said.

These women health entrepreneurs are also expected to help spread awareness regarding preventive healthcare and government welfare schemes.

For many workers employed at construction sites and industrial units across Noida and Greater Noida, access to healthcare often takes a back seat due to irregular work schedules and financial limitations. “We usually ignore health problems unless they become serious because it is difficult to take time off work. If someone in the locality is trained and can guide families, it will help workers a lot,” said Rajesh Kumar, a construction worker in Sector 62.

Sunita Devi, whose husband works as a daily wage labourer, said women in labour colonies often struggle to access timely medical advice. “If women from our own community are trained, people will feel more comfortable approaching them. It can especially help children and elderly people,” she said.