Calcutta, Feb. 8: The government will engage the West Bengal Board of Madarsa Education to oversee health programmes in rural areas.

The difference the board’s involvement made in the pulse polio programme prompted the government to tap it for other programmes as well.

A cross section of the minority community, especially in Murshidabad, was reluctant to be part of the pulse polio programme. Board officials asked parents in Muslim-dominated areas to take their children to health centres for polio drops, making a much greater impact than officials campaigning for the project.

The government has now asked the board to manage major health schemes, including routine immunisation programmes and healthcare campaigns for children and mothers and creating awareness on basic hygiene.

“The main activities of the board always centred around promotion of education among Muslim students. Never in the past were we asked to handle healthcare programmes. We have already started a number of schemes to educate our employees,” said Mohammed Refatullah, a senior official of the madarsa board.

“We are educating expectant mothers on the importance of a tetanus vaccine and iron tablets before the delivery. We are also preparing to campaign on the importance of cleanliness during childbirth and immunisation,” an official said.

Health department officials said the move to engage the board was recommended by Unicef. “The world body was extremely happy at the success of the madarsa board in persuading a large section of the community to participate in the pulse polio vaccination,” said a health official. “We were amazed at the board’s success in some remote areas of Murshidabad and Nadia,” he added.