Job Description: Health Worker (Field-level / Community TB Health Worker)
Location: Gyalsing, Sikkim
Vacancies: 1
Reporting-to: Project Coordinator
About Ashray Foundation:
Ashray Foundation is dedicated to providing healthcare services and creating awareness in
rural areas. We are committed to improving healthcare access and empowering communities
through education, awareness, and medical care.
About the Project
The SBIF Jivanam TB Mukt Initiative is a healthcare project supported by SBI Foundation,
aimed at strengthening tuberculosis (TB) screening, diagnosis, treatment adherence, and
community awareness in underserved and tribal districts of Sikkim. Ashray Foundation is
implementing this initiative on the ground in close coordination with the District TB Control
Programme, ASHA workers, ANMs, and the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP).
The Health Worker will be the frontline link between the community and the health system,
driving case detection, patient support, and awareness at the village/ward level.
Key Responsibilities
Active Case Finding & Screening
- Conduct house-to-house visits and community-level symptom screening to identify
presumptive TB cases in the assigned area.
- Identify high-risk and vulnerable groups (elderly, malnourished, diabetic, HIV-positive,
household contacts of TB patients)for focused screening.
- Refer presumptive TB cases to the nearest health facility for sputum testing, chest
X-ray, or other diagnostic services, and ensure they reach the facility.
- Support and participate in TB screening camps, mobile diagnostic van visits, and
community awareness drives organised under the project.
Treatment Support & Adherence
- Provide treatment adherence support to diagnosed TB patients, including Directly
Observed Treatment (DOT) follow-up where required.
- Conduct regular home visits to diagnosed patients to monitor treatment progress,
manage side effects sensitively, and prevent treatment interruption or default.
- Counsel patients and family members on nutrition, infection control practices, and the
importance of completing the full treatment course.
- Trace and follow up on patients who have missed doses, appointments, or are lost to
follow-up, in coordination with the Treatment Supervisor.
Community Awareness & Engagement
- Conduct health education sessions, group meetings, and IEC (Information, Education,
and Communication) activities in villages/wards to reduce TB-related stigma and
improve awareness of symptoms, transmission, and treatment.
- Engage with local stakeholders such as Panchayat Raj Institutions, community leaders,
self-help groups, and schools to build community ownership of the TB-Mukt goal.
Documentation & Reporting
- Maintain accurate field records of household visits, screenings, referrals, and
follow-ups, and share data regularly with the Data Entry Operator/Project Coordinator.
- Prepare and submit daily/weekly field activity reports to the supervisor.
Coordination
- Work in close coordination with ASHA workers, ANMs, TB Health Visitors (TB-HV),
Senior Treatment Supervisors (STS), and Medical Officers at the local health facility.
- Escalate any clinical concerns, adverse drug reactions, or patient emergencies to the
appropriate health facility/medical officer promptly.
- Participate in project review meetings, training, and capacity-building sessions
organised by Ashray Foundation, SBI Foundation, or the District TB Office.
Key Skills & Competencies
- Genuine interest in community health work and willingness to engage directly with
patients and families, including in sensitive or stigma-affected situations.
- Good interpersonal, communication, and counselling skills.
- Ability to travel extensively within the assigned village/block, including to remote and
hilly terrain typical of Sikkim.
- Basic understanding of TB symptoms, transmission, and treatment protocols (training
will be provided).
- Comfort with basic documentation/reporting; basic smartphone and digital app usage
for field reporting is an advantage.
- Sensitivity to patient confidentiality and respectful, non-judgmental engagement with
TB-affected individuals and families.
- Local language proficiency and familiarity with the community is highly valued.
Qualifications & Experience
- Background in nursing, ANM/GNM, social work, public health, or a paramedical
course; candidates with a background in nursing, social work, public health, or a
paramedical course will be preferred.
- Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) or B.Sc. Nursing from a
recognized institution.
- Must be registered with the state nursing registration board.
- Minimum 1–2 years of clinical experience (experience in rural/field settings
preferred).
- Basic knowledge of public health programs and preventive healthcare.
- Proficient in local language and basic English.
- Willingness to travel extensively in rural and remote areas with the mobile unit.
- Good communication, interpersonal, and documentation skills.
Desirable Criteria
- Candidates who are residents of the local village/block in Sikkim where the position is
based will be strongly preferred, given the community-trust nature of the role.
- Women candidates are encouraged to apply, particularly for areas where home visits to
female patients require a female health worker.
- Familiarity with local customs, dialects, and community structures in the assigned area.
Working Conditions
- This is a field-intensive role requiring daily travel on foot or local transport within the
assigned area, including to remote households.
- The role may involve exposure to infectious disease settings; appropriate training and
infection-control supplies (masks, sanitizers) will be provided by the project.
- Flexibility to occasionally work outside standard hours for camps, outreach events, or
patient emergencies.
Pay: Up to ₹25,000.00 per month
Work Location: In person
