BHT, besides providing Palliative Care for advanced stage cancer patients, is also doing yeomen service to the community by training young girls mainly from rural/less privileged backgrounds into Health Assistants, who are eventually useful to any sort of patients, at their respective residence, thereby providing the youngster, a specialized vocational skill and the ailing patient, the much necessary and desired professional help at a very moderate and affordable cost. Besides this, the very poor parents of the girls also benefit from their daughter’s learning new skills and thus becoming employable.
 

Women from the lower socio-economic group between the ages of 18 to 22 are trained as Health Assistants, who would otherwise have not been able to go for any higher education or make a career for themselves. The course duration is 6 months, rendered free of charge and this includes training – theory and practical, food and lodging. A monthly stipend is also paid to each trainee.  Once trained, the Health Assistants are employed in the hospice as care-givers. BHT has completed 20 batches of training and the service continues to be successful. We are happy to report that this program achieves the twin goals of filling a niche need in the society around us, and also empowers these young women to have a career.