Govt plans ‘larger force’ to replace frontline workers

NEW DELHI: Asserting that India faces a significantly higher threat from Covid-19 pandemic, the government has decided to create a “larger force” to replace frontline workers engaged in various works to tackle the pandemic and its exponential increase.

These workers will be provided necessary training online.

“... As all are aware, India faces a significantly higher threat from COVID-19 pandemic. It will be pertinent to take note of the fact that India’s first line of workers is already engaged in COVID relief and doing commendable job.

“However, a larger force will be needed to replace the first line and to tackle the exponential or geometric increase in positive COVID-19 cases in the subsequent stages of the pandemic,” according to a Personnel Ministry order.the order, however, did not elaborate in what context the country was f acing higher threat.accordingly, to take care of the training needs of the frontline workers, the launch of the integrated government online training (IGOT) platform has been fast-forwarded, and a version of IGOT fitted to these needs has been launched, it said.

“The platform will provide the training modules on flexitime and on site basis so that the COVID response can be delivered at scale for the workforce needed to tackle the pandemic,” it said.

The courses on IGOT, it said, have been launched for doctors, nurses, paramedics, hygiene workers, technicians, auxiliary nursing midwives (ANMS), state government officers and civil defence officials, among others.

They have been asked to encourage more members of the organisations concerned to get on board the IGOT platform and undergo online training, the order said.