CHW training to improve maternal,child health services in Region One

The Regional Administration of the Barima-Waini (Region One), is offering a two- year maternal and child health training programme to Community Health Workers (CHWs), to provide quality health care to pregnant women in the region. 

Chairman, Brentnol Ashley said the administration is answering the pleas of pregnant mothers, who had to go out of the region for the specialised care. The service will  also form part of government’s efforts to achieve zero maternal deaths, in keeping with the goals set out by the United Nations. It will also improve primary health care services in that hinterland region.

“We have heard as a region, the cry of the communities, not only at Santa Rosa, but across Moruca of what our mothers face when they go to Region Two at Suddie or Charity, and so our government, being a visionary government, has put sufficient resources in place to have the infrastructure and also the human resource in place to deal with this particular issue,” Ashley explained.

The regional chairman said the administration will soon be churning out more qualified medical staff from several training programmes.

 In 2021, the region received its very first training centre at Central Mabaruma for persons interested in becoming CHWs. The facility has two furnished classrooms, one smart classroom, administrative office space, air conditioning, as well as a furnished sitting area.

 “We are hoping that training programmes will move on from us training our nurses or what we call registered nurses. We would also be training midwives right in the region in the forthcoming future. Also we will be training laboratory technicians, environment health assistants and other career paths in health right here in the region,” Ashley said.

The region’s health sector has seen significant improvement. The chairman said this was due to the  holistic approach and determination  to provide equal access to government services.