Ans. C: Health assistantSpecific job functions of health assistant (male) includes collecting thick and thin smears from any fever case he come across and will administer presumptive treatment of prescribed dosage of antimalarial drugsHealth care systemThe health care services' organization in the country extends from the national level to village level.At the national level it consists of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which has three depaments, viz. - Depament of Health and Family Welfare, Depament of AYUSH and Depament of Health Research.One Community Health Center (CHC) has been established for every 80, 000 to 1, 20, 000 population, and this center provides the basic specialty services in general medicine, pediatrics, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology. CHCs are being established and maintained by the State Government.It is manned by four medical specialists i.e. Surgeon, Physician, Gynecologist and Pediatrician suppoed by 21 paramedical and other staff.It has 30 in-door beds with one OT, Xray, Labour Room and Laboratory facilities.It serves as a referral center for 4 PHCs.PHCs are the cornerstone of rural health services- a first po of call to a qualified doctor of the public sector in rural areas for the sick and those who directly repo or referred from Subcenters for curative, preventive and promotive health care.One Primary Health Center covers about 30, 000 (20, 000 in hilly, dese and difficult terrains) or more population.At present, a PHC is manned by a Medical Officer suppoed by 14 paramedical and other staff.It acts as a referral unit for 6 sub-centers and refer out cases to Community Health Centers (CHCs-30 bedded hospital)/ sub-district/ district hospitals.It has 4-6 indoor beds for patients.The Sub-center is the most peripheral and first contact point between the primary health care system and the community.Sub-centers are assigned tasks relating to interpersonal communication in order to bring about behavioral change and provide services in relation to maternal and child health, family welfare, nutrition, immunization, diarrhoea control and control of communicable diseases programmes.The Sub-centers are provided with basic drugs for minor ailments needed for taking care of essential health needs of men, women and children.Currently a Sub-center is staffed by one Female Health Worker commonly known as Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) and one Male Health Worker commonly known as Multi Purpose Worker (Male).One Health Assistant (Female) commonly known as Lady Health Visitor (LHV) and one Health Assistant (Male) located at the PHC level are entrusted with the task of supervision of all the Sub-centers (generally six sub centers) under a PHC.The overall objective of Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) is to provide health care that is quality oriented and sensitive to the needs of the community.In order to provide optimal level of quality health care, a set of standards are being recommended for Community Health Center /Primary Health Center/Sub center with reference to Infrastructure, Functioning and Staffing including responsibilities of each.The Medical Officer of Primary Health Center (PHC) is responsible for implementing all activities grouped under Health and Family Welfare delivery system in PHC area.He/she is responsible in his individual capacity, as well as over all in charge for his curative, preventive and promotive care of the patients.He will organize training programmes including continuing education for the staff and carry out all administrative activities required for smooth running of the PHC.The health assistant female will supervise, guide and train the Health Worker Female, Dais and ASHAs; and also visit each Sub-center at least once a week.The Health Assistant Male will strengthen the knowledge and skills of the health worker male and supervise and guide him in the delivery of health care service to the community; and visit each Health Worker Male at least once a week.They maintain records and carry out a team work at PHC.Health Worker Female (ANM) provides MCH care, Family planning, identify the women requiring help for MTP and identify cases of malnutrition among infants and young children and refer them.She will immunize pregnant women with tetanus toxoid, administer DPT, oral polio, measles and BCG vaccine to all infants and children, (Hepatitis-B in pilot areas) as per immunization schedule. Dai Training, identifying, notifying and referring various Communicable Diseases and recording the vital events are some of her impoant jobs.The Health worker Male will make a visit to each family once a fonight and performs the prescribed duties peaining to different National Health Programmes like NVBDCP, NLEP, RNTCP, UIP, National Blindness Control Programme and others.He will chlorinate the public water sources including wells at regular intervals and educate the community.A trained female community health worker - ASHA - is being provided in each village in the ratio of one per 1000 population.She must be a primary resident of the village with formal education upto Class VIII and preferably in the age group 25-45.She would be selected by the Gram Sabha and would be fully accountable to Panchayat.Though she would not be paid any honorarium, she would be entitled for performance based compensation.ASHAs would reinforce community action for universal immunization, safe delivery, newborn care, prevention of water-borne and other communicable diseases, nutrition and sanitation.