20 Jun 2017

Strengthening of primary healthcare system is key to reducing the number of people who frequent public health facilities.

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Ms Shanaz El-Halabi said on Monday during a meeting on harmonising of community based healthcare groups at Lion Park Resor that the ministry was in the process of revitalising primary healthcare work approach with the objectives of achieving a healthcare system that promotes health and wellness, prevention and control of diseases.

One of the activities of this process is harmonisation of community-based healthcare groups.

Ms El-Halabi said the strength of primary healthcare was the responsibility of community health groups and volunteers, as foot soldiers.

“Community healthcare interventions are most effective when communities are engaged,” she said.

However, she regretted that community healthcare efforts were currently disjointed and needed coordination.

He noted that the country used to have a strong community healthcare system, but the situation changed over time, adding that the ministry valued the efforts of such groups and volunteers.

Ms El-Halabi further said there was disparity in community health work as some are paid while others are not paid, hence there is no consistency.

Therefore she noted that the ministry intends to organise the community health work code to ensure that the ministry get the desired results.

Ms El-Halabi noted that due to the disjointed efforts in community health work, some of the messages and information seemed to contradict one another and at times confuse clients.

Further, she noted that the ministry had a roadmap of improving the country’s healthcare sector.

South East District Health Management Team official, Ms Monica Dikupe reiterated that there were many community-based organisation and individuals dealing with healthcare work.

Therefore Ms Dikupe noted that working together to harmonise healthcare work would be beneficial to all stakeholders.

She said issues of remuneration  killed sustainability of programmes as some organisations that did not pay lose volunteers to the paying ones. BOPA