Delhi cops to train 10,000 health workers for war on Covid

NEW DELHI: Police commissioner S N Shrivastava announced an ambitious project to train and employ as many as 10,000 health workers in preparation for future Covid-19 infections. The top cop also launched an advanced Covid care training simulation lab at Chittaranjan Park on Friday as well as the Yuva Job & Training portal for smooth implementation of the project.
Shrivastava said, “The mission is to create 10,000 health workers as part of the 3-4 lakh additional health workers that the Prime Minister has the country needs.A robust mapping system has been introduced to determine the specific areas of training required and a prompt delivery mode to enable the trained workforce to join hospitals and the healthcare and emergency systems.”
The aspirants will be trained on the basis of their educational background, interest and aptitude. The trained personnel will work as home patient care assistants, general duty assistants, emergency medical technicians, ambulance drivers, domestic Covid health workers, etc.
To augment the capital’s effective healthcare workforce and to wean young people away from despair and crime, Delhi Police had begun to train the unemployed and needy youth under the Yuva scheme early this year. Yuva is a flagship community policing initiative that provides job-oriented training and skill development to the underprivileged youth to create employment avenues.
Delhi Police has since trained around 1,100 youngsters and secured placements for over 125 of them after collaborating with hospitals and private companies. Those who have been placed are getting Rs 15,000-25,000 per month in salaries, depending on their skill set and job profile.
Shrivastava had asked district deputy commissioners of police to identify youths for training so they could not only find employment but also act as force multipliers during the pandemic. The police commissioner said on Friday, “There is a dual objective: provide employment and create resources and talent which can contribute to the healthcare sector during the pandemic.” He added, “Noting that the services of the Yuva trainees could be utilised as primary healthcare workers, special arrangements were made to impart basic training to them in collaboration with reputed hospitals and companies engaged in healthcare, the aim being to harness talent and create human resources."
On the successful completion of training, the learners are given certificates to help them secure placements. In coordination with premium hospitals and companies engaged in healthcare, Delhi Police is also organising job fairs to facilitate placement of these newly skilled youngsters.