Tata Steel today awarded recognition to 43 female students who have passed out, under its guidance, as Community Health Providers (CHP) and Operation Theatre Assistants (OTA). The convocation ceremony was held at Tribal Culture Centre, Sonari.

The CHP & OTA training was imparted at Tata Main Hospital and Tinplate Hospital, Jamshedpur. While the CHP training has been on since 2005-06, the OTA training is an added initiative, launched this year, for the meritorious students who wish to hone and acquire additional skills. Both these modules focus mainly on girls in the age group of 18-30 years, from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes of Jharkhand. Lasting for a time period of one year for both modules, it requires aspirants to be matriculate as a minimum level of education.

The course of a Community Health Provider is designed to guide candidates in a definitive manner through first aid, daily patient care, normal cases of child delivery, new born care at bursary, care for in-house patients (pre-operative and post-operative care), administer drugs and maintain patient records. Operation Theatre Assistant training, on the other hand, is imparted to the top rankers. For this batch, the top 10 rankers were selected to undergo this rigorous session, in continuation with their CHP programme. Hence, it is also regarded as 2nd year CHP training with specialization in Operation Theatre. During this training, a candidate learns to assist doctors and nurses during an operation. The training is imparted through theory and practical classes under due supervision of doctors and nurses from both hospitals. As is clear, it calls for extreme concentration and high level precision from the very start of the sessions.

This is an added initiative by Tata Steel to increase the employability factor of the tribal population, especially women, residing in leasehold area of the Company's operations. This was reiterated by Dr B Ray, General Manager, Medical Services, Tata Steel and chief guest on the occasion, "The society which encourages its women folk to walk on the part of empowerment, progresses itself. We as responsible citizens need to guide and assist women to bring out the best in them, such that they contribute fruitfully to the society at large."To add to the zeal was the fact that out of the 43 graduating, 2 are already employed at Shiva Nursing Home, Adityapur.

In a random sample survey conducted through Impact Assessment format and telephonic conversation among 2006-07 and 2007-08 batch candidates, a total of 100 CHPs and OTAs have successfully found employment in different nursing homes and clinics. Some of the places where they are presently employed include Vardaan Maternity Home & Research Center, Baridih; Life Line Nursing Home, Sakchi; Mayank Mrinal Hospital, Jugsalai; Sinha Nursing Home, Mango; Dr Anju Bajoria's Clinic, Baradwari; Shiva Nursing Home, Cancer Research Hospital, Ranchi; Apollo Hospital, Ranchi and others.