Dr Koku Awoonor-Williams, National Co-ordinator of the Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) has cautioned District Directors of Health against the dangers of assigning responsibilities of Community Health Officers (CHO) to Health Aides.

"By their training, which lasts only six months, Health Aides cannot provide the quantum of services that CHOs are trained to provide", Dr Awoonor-Williams, who is also the Nkwanta District Director of Health Services, said.

He gave the caution at an orientation workshop for health teams from the Ajumako-Enyam-Esiam and Winneba Districts in the Central region, which were at Nkwanta to understudy the implementation of the CHPS there.

CHPS sought to promote active community involvement in health planning and implementation jointly with Health Officers to address the peculiar health problems of communities including lack of access to health services.

Dr Awoonor-Williams said CHPS is "the panacea for addressing the health needs of Ghana's poor and inaccessible people".

He said the backbone of CHPS is "a well trained health staff", and that "providing services at the doorstep of our people is synonymous with giving to them what is their due".

"Posting Health Aides to do the work of CHO will seriously undermine the integrity of the national initiative with grave consequences for the country", he cautioned.

Commenting on their experiences, Dr G.K. Morrison, Winneba District Director of Health Services said, "The exchange visit has been an eye opener because it allows teams to see the practicalities of CHPS. I will advise all districts to undertake it before they launch CHPS".

Ms. Adriana de Heer, Ajumako District Director of Health Services, said "We have been extremely impressed by the commitment of the Community Health Officers and the high level of community participation in CHPS", the team she said, "feels challenged by what they have witnessed during their tour".

Mr. Kofi Assam, Assemblyman from Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam, said the tour "had demystified the CHPS concept and provided him the opportunity to learn at first hand how District Assemblies and District Health Directorates can be effective collaborators to bring healthcare to communities".

"My fears have been completely allayed. The experience here will help me galvanize support from my District Chief Executive and among fellow assembly members to speed up the implementation of CHPS in our district", he said.
The teams were made up of District Directors of Health Services, District Public Health Nurses, Disease Control Officers, Medical Assistants, CHPS Co-ordinators, Assemblymen and Community Health Nurses.
Source: GNA