A one-day Training of Trainers (ToT) of District Consultant, National Urban Health Mission (NUHM), District Community Mobiliser, Block ASHA Coordinators, Block Program Manager, General Nursing & Midwifery, Auxiliary Nursing and Midwifery, Data Entry Operator, Vaccinator and Community Health Officer of Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung, Tuensang, Wokha and Mon, on Mahila Arogya Samiti (MAS) was held at IDSP Hall, Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Kohima, on March 6.
A press release by National Health Mission (NHM) Nagaland stated that addressing the participants and trainers, mission director NHM Nagaland, Dr. Akuo Sorhie stated that MAS was formed with a central objective to empower women in communities and involve them directly in health and well being of their respective communities.
She added that, one of the major responsibilities of MAS was to engage in community health planning thus, creating environment of trust and openness where people feel empowered to seek help, access services and take charge of their own health.
The release added that participants would be trained on aims and objectives of MAS, community health planning, maintaining records and funds, monitoring etc. after which, they will train the MAS members in their respective districts.
It may be noted that MAS are women’s groups of 8-12 locally resident women, formed for every 100 households in urban vulnerable settlements, for neighborhood health planning, action on social determinants of health and for monitoring all local services.
Urban Primary Health Unit has been fully set up in five districts so far in the State and at present, Mon is under process. The rest of the districts will be covered in the coming years in a phase wise manner.