1,75,000 health professionals trained under MSDE Skill ecosystem provided to States

In a bid to help the nation fight the COVID-19 and help various stakeholders overcome the hardships, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has sent contact details of 1, 75,000 health professionals located in different states to all Chief Secretaries.

These professionals, trained under MSDE Skill ecosystem, are Health workers, Emergency Medical Technicians, General Duty Assistants, Phlebotomy Technicians, Home Health Aid Technicians etc and their services could be utilised by states for isolation and quarantine duties under COVID-19.

The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has appointed nodal officers in each state. They are in contact with state administration for mobilising the personnel based on requirement.

All Chief secretaries have been asked to utilise facilities of 33 field Institutes like National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) for the purpose of quarantine centres or isolation wards and temporary medical camps. Besides, States were also advised to utilise the facilities available in ITIs for the purpose.

States have already started utilising NSTI located in Panipat, Thiruvanathpuram, Calicut , Ludhiana, Dehradun for Isolation Wards. A Chennai hostel is identified as isolation ward by District Administration.

Other than ITIs and NSTIs, 38 Polytechnics and colleges in Odisha are being used as isolation wards.

After MSDE instructed Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) for preparation of Masks under the directions of District Collector and District Health Authorities in January this year, as on date, 101 JSSs spread across 99 districts in 17 States have produced about 5 lakh masks so far for their respective district administrations during this lockdown period.

NSTI, Ludhiana has prepared an Aero Blaster Machine and handed it over to district administration for sanitising the city. Dr Ambedkar Memorial ITI (run by Pune Cantonment Board, Pune, Maharashtra) prepared 6 "Corona Disinfection Chamber". Arun Pratima Pathak Memorial Pvt ITI, Jehanabad, has made "Public tunnel sanitiser machine" which has been installed at district government hospital in Jehanabad while ITI Kannur, Kerala handed over institute vehicle to district administration.

The MSDE has also contributed at least one day salary by all officers/staff to the PM CARES Fund. National Skill Development Council, the Sector Skill Councils and Training Providers have been asked to contribute through CSR funds.