The Need to modernize the NTEP Training System

National Tuberculosis (TB) Elimination Program (NTEP) of India is one of the largest public health programs in the world. It has over 30,000 peripheral health institutions providing diagnostic and treatment services in the public sector, with a huge workforce of  Medical Officers, Paramedical staff, Multi Purpose Health Workers, and other frontline health workers. Putting this together with incentivised volunteers and a huge private sector, the quantity and variety of human resources is at a scale that is unparalleled. Trained Human Resource (HR) is critical for ensuring TB patients receive quality diagnostic, treatment and other patient support services. There is a regular need for capacity building measures in the form of formal training, orientation workshops and sensitization meetings.

The current training system primarily consists of 9 printed modules which are delivered in a modular reading fashion. Updates over and above these modules are disseminated using guidelines/ other documents. However, with the considerable expansion of the program in the last five years, there has been a corresponding increase in the number of technical areas where training is needed, with very frequent updates and changes. It is also important to address the overlaps and variance of training needs across various cadres, optimise the use of standard training content with consistent delivery of technical material, while ensuring quality training delivery on ground. Combining these needs with the national scale of training operations, older paper based methods need upgradation, using more efficient modes of knowledge and skills transfer.

In view of the above challenges, NTEP needs a modernised digitally-enabled training system; one that should be able to effectively cater to the variance and overlaps in training needs, the national scale of operations, and also address the rapid change in program processes and ensure quick uptake. This would also need to leverage the increased acceptance to electronic modes of training, a change brought about by the COVID19 pandemic.