Responsibilities of district health officers

Community health Nursing, Public health nursing, Nursing

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SMCH/HCDS/14: Job responsibilities of District health officers

Quadrant-I
Personal Details
Role Name Affiliation
Principal Investigator



Prof. CP Mishra Department of Community Medicine,
Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras
Hindu University, Varanasi
Paper Coordinator


Prof. Najam Khalique Department of Community Medicine,
J N Medical College, AMU, Aligarh
Content Writer

Prof. Najam Khalique Department of Community Medicine,
J N Medical College, AMU, Aligarh

Content Reviewer

Prof. M Athar Ansari

Department of Community Medicine,
J N Medical College, AMU, Aligarh

Description of Module
Items Description of Module
Subject name Social Medicine & Community Health
Paper name Health Care Delivery System
Module name/Title Job responsibilities of District health officers
Module Id SMCH/HCDS/14
Pre-requisites Understanding of health system and health programmes
Objectives To know the job responsibilities of District health officers
Keywords Acts and rules , District health officers, , IEC activities, HMIS

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Introduction
The Chief Medical & Health Officer (CM &HO) in his capacity as the head of the district health
administration will be responsible to achieve the health goals in the district through appropriate
planning, effective implementation and monitoring of all preventive and curative health care activities
in the district. He/ She will be responsible for co-ordination with all the government departments,
PRIs, NGOs, social& community leaders.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion this module, the reader should be able to state jobs of Chief Medical & Health
Officer in reference to the followings:
 Jobs related to National Programmes
 Different Acts & Rules
 Disease Surveillance
 Community Participation& I.E.C. Activities
 Coordination work Projects
 Monitoring
 Project related works
 Administrative works
 Accounts works

Main Text
Chief medical and health officer should perform various jobs in relation to the folowings.
1. National Programmes
Ensure effective implementation and achievement of the targets under the following national
programmes through supportive supervision - RCH, Integrated Disease Surveillance Project/
Programme, Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme, National Leprosy Eradication
Programme, National Programme for Control of Blindness, National AIDS Control Programme,
National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme, National Cancer Control Programme,
National Mental Health Programme, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, School
Health Programme etc.
2. Acts & Rules
Facilitate, co-ordinate, supervise, monitor and implement the provisions of all the health sector Acts
and the Rules there in including Mental Health Act 1987, Persons with Disabilities Act1995, Pre
Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994, MTP Act 1971, Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954,
Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1956, Human Organ Transplant Act 1994, Bio Medical Waste (Handling and
Management) Rules, 1998 and all other health related legislations envisaging role of CM&HO.
3. Disease Surveillance

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i. Prepare an annual data base for emerging pattern of diseases through collection of data (C to
E) and plan appropriate interventions for effective prevention and control of diseases.
ii. Introduce and implement systems to identify early warning symptoms of seasonal diseases
and take effective steps for prevention and control.
iii. Ensuring Kala azar prevention related insecticidal spraying activities.
iv. Ensure surveillance and effective measures for the prevention and control of vaccine
preventable disease.
v. Identify the causes of maternal & child morbidity and mortality and take measures for their
reduction.
4. Community Participation and I.E.C. Activities
i. Take necessary steps to involve community, NGOs, PRIs, social and religious leaders, other
government departments and public representatives in planning and implementation of Health
and FW Programme.
ii. Ensure effective coordination with Panchayat Raj Institutions as laid down in government
instructions from time to time and also ensure effective implementation of Govt. orders.
iii. Take steps to involve private sector in health and family welfare programmes.
Effectively asses and organize the IEC activities relating to Health & FW in the district through:
District IEC Bureau, PRI’s, ICDS & other Government Departments, NGOs etc.
5. Coordination
i. Act as member Secretary of district level co-ordination committee/district health society.
ii. As district advisor ICDS, implement the health components of ICDS programme.
iii. Convene regularly the meetings of the District Health Society and other committees at district
level and ensure implementation and follow up of the decisions of these committees.
iv. Maintain close co-ordination with District Collector, Panchayat Raj Institutions, Education,
Welfare & Public Relation / Information Departments for active co-operation in health care
programmes.
6. Projects
Ensure effective and timely implementation of the on-going projects and achievements of physical
and financial targets through respective officers.
7. Monitoring
i. Supervise through quarterly monitoring of Sub District Hospitals, CHCs & FRUs and ensure
submission of quarterly reports to the Regional and State level officers.
ii. Maintaining HMIS and validating the HMIS data
8. Administrative Functions
i. Postings and transfers including redistribution of medical, nursing and paramedical personnel
in the district.
ii. Ensure availability of all health workers and furnish monthly reports to the Regional and State
level authorities.
iii. Carry out routine and surprise inspections of all the subordinate offices and take follow up
actions.
iv. Ensure that the problems and grievances of the staff are solved promptly.
v. Timely actions for RTI, court cases and expeditious implementation of orders of the courts.

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vi. Identify low performing institutions and remedial actions for optimum performance including
due actions against non-performers.
vii. Ensure timely and adequate supply of drugs etc., including equipments to all the health
institutions as well as adequate buffers in district stores for all emergencies particularly during
epidemics, floods etc.
viii. Issue requisite NOCs to industries in conformation of health standards under various Acts.
ix. Facilitate the strengthening of PRI in context of health and family welfare programmes.
x. Conducting maternal death review.
xi. Timely completion of civil work.
xii. District health action plan preparation.
xiii. Maintaining contingency plan for disasters.
xiv. Updating the service entries in the service book.
xv. Ensuring the functioning of quality assurance committee.
xvi. Operationalization of SCs and PHCs.
xvii. Land identification for SCs and opening new sub centres.
xviii. Responsible for verification of daily diaries of district officer. When he will visit he has to
check and sign the diary.
xix. Need to take action whenever situation demands.
xx. Handling the individual grievances of the staff
9. Accounts
i. Ensure appropriate utilisation of funds as per the guidelines and GFR provisions.
ii. Furnish accounts for all the funds received in the district including district Health Society and
committees for the health facilities as well as Village Health Sanitation Committees.
iii. Ensure auditing procedures are completed well in advance and audit reports are furnished to
all the concerned authorities.
iv. Dispose all of obsolete / condemned items and vehicles as per the Government orders in-
force.
v. Monitor and guide the activities of SHC/ PHC/ CHC committees, patient welfares societies of
hospitals, village health & sanitation committees.
vi. Maintain coordination of primary and secondary level health care facilities.
vii. JBSY, RKS fund utilization on time.
viii. Timely disbursement of the salary on the due dates.
Summary
The role of the District Health Officer is to ensure effective implementation and achievement of the
various national programme targets along with carrying out & monitoring disease surveillance
activities, ensuring & encouraging community participation, IEC activities, cordination at various
levels, administrative & accounts managements etc.

References:
1. www.health.mp.gov.in/ha/medical-manual-ha.pdf.