Government plans ‘larger force’ to replace frontline workers managing crisis

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 8

The government has decided to create a “larger force” by training them to replace frontline workers engaged in various works to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic and its exponential increase.

Noting that such workers will be provided necessary training online, the personnel department in a circular said, “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.”

It said, “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.”

Though the circular did not elaborate in what context the country was facing higher threat, it said, 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”.

“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 further 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.