12 new Community Healthcare Workers to enhance healthcare delivery
Newly-trained Community Health Workers
Some 12 Direct Observed Treatment (DOT) workers from Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Four (Demerara-Mahaica) on Friday graduated as Community Healthcare Workers (CHW), after being trained to aid in advancing the quality of care provided to members within the communities they serve.
The six-month training, which commenced last November, included key subject areas of First Aid, Vector Control, Environmental Health, Maternal and Child Health, Basic Anatomy and Physiology, and Elderly Health, among other areas of mutual interest.
The Health Ministry’s Health Sciences Division in collaboration with the National Tuberculosis Department hosted a graduation ceremony for the 12 newly trained individuals at Windjammer Conference Room in Kitty, Georgetown.
Over the years, statistics have shown that Region Three is the second-highest region with Tuberculosis (TB) cases, while Region Four stands at number one, according to Dr Jeetendra Mohanlall, Manager of the National Tuberculosis Programme.
“Region Three was about fourth in terms of TB cases, and Region 10 was the second highest. Region Four is the highest-burden region because of population–50 per cent of our TB cases is from Region Four,” Dr Mohanlall said.
“This did change over the year, however, [as] Region 10 was able to move from the second-highest burden region down to number four, and Region Three up to number two,” Mohanlall explained.
Dr Mohanlall added that between January to June of this year, Region Three was able to obtain over 80 per cent of successful treatment for TB cases, while Region Four was able to achieve 60 per cent.
“With the last cohort of analysis from January to June last year, patients evaluated between January to June this year were actually in the top four regions with TB success rates. Region Three in the top four, achieving 80 per cent and above treatment success and Region Four, moved from 70 per cent and over during the COVID-19 pandemic, coming down to the 60s,” Dr Mohanlall stated.
Also present at the graduation ceremony were DOT Short Course Coordinator, Dr Neil Trotman; TB/HIV Coordinator, Dr Quacy Grant and Health Education Officer, Petal Gordon.
