Presentation of PPEs and other essentials to a CHPS compound.
The Hunger Project-Ghana (THP-Ghana) in partnership with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has trained 136 healthcare providers in Covid-19 prevention and diagnosis of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
The two-day training which took place in the Eastern Region was in support of the government’s effort to stem the spread of Covid-19 and mitigate its effect by building the capacity of healthcare workers in infection prevention.
The participants drown from 38 out of 45 epicenter clinics in five regions of the country, built their capacity on surveillance and contact tracing of Covid-19 cases, diagnosis and referral of NCDs such as Diabetes and High Blood Pressure and the donning and doffing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
The THP-Ghana also donated PPE, Covid-19 educational materials, and handwashing facilities such as veronica buckets and tippy taps to all of its 45 epicenter clinics.
Public address systems and megaphones were also handed over to the clinics to aid in the sensitisation programmes of the healthcare workers who continue to offer essential services to clients visiting the facilities.
THP-Ghana Country Director, Samuel Afrane, commended the regional Covid-19 training team for collaborating with THP to provide such an important training to the service providers.
He indicated that THP-Ghana’s passion lies with their community partners and it was important to ensure their safety in times like this.
“During periods like this, the government is unable to cover the most vulnerable groups who reside in the rural areas due to limited funding.
The organisation decided to integrate Covid-19 training into its scheduled program (THP Ghana’s Covid-19 response) for health workers to create the resilience needed at such local levels,” he said.
Maternal and Child Health Project Coordinator, THP-Ghana, Stephanie Ashley, said the partnership between the two organizations has been in existence for over decades.
She said the organisation will continue to support the service in its quest to reduce maternal and child mortalities as well as achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by strengthening existing health systems (CHPs compounds), building capacity of health staff, equipping health facilities with medical equipment and training volunteers and animators to help service providers instil positive health seeking behaviours among community partners.
Deputy Director Public Health, Eastern Region, Dr Albert Antobreh expressed thanks to THP-Ghana for the training saying about 40 per cent of Covid-19 infections in the Region are among health workers hence the need for them to be protected so they can provide healthcare services to the most vulnerable in society.
A consultant appointed by the government to provide Covid-19 response support to the Eastern Region, Dr. Aaron Offei, expressed excitement at the effort of THP-Ghana in initiating and supporting the workshop.
He mentioned that the training will be featured in the Eastern Region’s Covid-19 update report to the Head Office of the GHS.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri