Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony encouraged Community Health Workers (CHWs) who graduated on Saturday to continue advancing themselves in the area of health with the educational opportunities being provided by the PPP/C Government.
Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony and Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal at the graduation ceremony for Community Health Workers in Mabaruma, Region One on Saturday
Minister Anthony was delivering the feature address at a graduation ceremony held on the lawns of the Mabaruma Town Hall.
“You can now further your studies in nursing, midwifery, lab technology and other healthcare professions,” Dr Anthony stated.
He noted that while the 14-week training programme has prepared the CHWs as health police and ambassadors in their communities, this is only the start.
“The Government, Ministry of Health has numerous training programmes taking place at the moment, and there are other opportunities with GOAL to further your studies, and we want everyone to have that opportunity to advance themselves and develop their own communities.
A few of the Community Health Workers with Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony
“We have plans to expand the regional health services to treat chronic illnesses and provide mental healthcare services as well, so there are those areas as well.”
Also, Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal, who is the parliamentary representative for Barima-Waini (Region One), said he was proud of the steps the graduates have taken to better themselves and to further develop their respective communities.
Croal also urged them to continue to broaden their knowledge and to serve their communities with pride. “Healthcare professionals are critical in building healthy populations, especially as the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic.”
This is the largest batch to graduate from the programme, which is piloted by the Ministry of Health.
Newly graduated Community Health Workers with Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony and Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal
Apart from their usual duties at health facilities, CHWs usually work to enhance the communication between community members and healthcare providers.
Director General of the Ministry of Health, Dr Vishwa Mahadeo; Hinterland Coordinator of the Ministry of Health, Michael Gouveia; Regional Health Officer of Region One, Dr Steven Cheefoon; Regional Executive Officer of Region One, Tikaram Bisesar and Chairman of Region One, Brentnol Ashley also attended the ceremony.
Earlier in the day the team visited the Mabaruma Regional Hospital to assess the equipment needs of the institution. The facility is being retrofitted under the Smart Hospital Project.
