A distant learning course to upgrade the knowledge of healthcare providers across the country has been started by the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW), a central government institute for public health in the country.

The course is called the ‘distant health promotion’ and it runs in 10 modules. Students who have enrolled for the course have to attend five-day sessions at the institute, twice a year apart from studying the regular course material.

“The director general of health services has approved the course and for the first batch, starting from April this year, 236 candidates have enrolled,” said Deoki Nandan, NIHFW director.

Graduates of any discipline of health are eligible for this course. Doctors, nurses, paramedics etc, can enroll for this course as they are the change makers and the knowledge they gain from it will help them serve people better, he added.