Community Based Health Planning Service (CHPS) launched at Kotingli

Kotingli, (N/R), Dec. 22, GNA- Dr Elias Sory, Northern Regional Director of Health Service, said on Tuesday that the government alone could not provide health facilities and at the same time provide personnel to man them.

He said because of inadequate logistics, health facilities and personnel, the Ghana Health Service (GHS), had come out with the CHPS programme to help address the health needs of the people in rural communities.

Dr Sory was speaking at the launch of a community base health planning service at Kotingli, near Tamale. It would take care of the health needs of the five communities in the area The CHPS programme involves house-to-house visits by a resident nurse to ascertain the health needs of the people and give treatment to those found sick.

It also offers health education in areas of sanitation antenatal and family planning provide immunization services to children against the six childhood killer diseases, and referrals of complicated cases to hospitals.

Dr Sory said if the programme was successfully implemented it would help get health education to the people at the grassroots level and promote healthy living.

He called on the chiefs and people of the five communities to cooperate with the resident nurse, Madam Cecilia Chemsi to enable her to perform well.

Dr John Abamyiri, Tamale Metropolitan Health Director, said CHPS was one of the strategies that would enable the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to address the problem of geographical access of basic health services to deprived communities.

He said the CHPS was a process of strategic planning and implementation of primary health care activities in a community, with full involvement and participation of community members.

Dr Abamyiri said through the efforts of the GHS, the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly and its collaborators, guinea worm cases in the area had reduced by 50 per cent at the end of this year.

The chief of Kotingli, Braimah Lansa, gave the assurance that he and his people would support the nurse to provide quality healthcare to the people.