Ministry of Health adopts CBSV system

Kuntanase (Ash), Jan 10, GNA - The Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service are adopting the Ashanti region's Community-Based Surveillance Volunteers (CBSV) system of improving geographical access to comprehensive health service delivery.

Dr Kyei Faried, Senior Medical Officer in-charge of Public Health at the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate, who disclosed this, said the decision to adopt the system was taken in Tamale recently at a stakeholders meeting, which evaluated the system.

Addressing a durbar of chiefs, health workers and people of Kuntanase in the Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma district to honour some health workers, he said the system would be used for social mobilisation, early case detection of selected diseases of public health importance and community health data management to help improve health delivery in the communities throughout the country.

Dr Faried noted that the community based surveillance volunteer system had proved that it could help the Ghana Health Service to extend its service and coverage to the remotest part of the country since a CBSV could be located in every community.

He said a training workshop would soon be organised for all CBSVs in Ashanti to enable them undertake the weighing of children in their communities and also counsel parents on food and health issues concerning themselves and their children.

Dr Kofi Kamaledeed Hussein, District Director of Health Services, commended the CBSV for their efforts, which had gained national recognition and asked them to report diseases such as measles, CSM, cholera, jaundice with fever to the District Health Management Team (DHMT) immediately since these conditions could easily lead to death and could even wipe out a whole community.

He also reminded them to report promptly to their community health officers conditions such as sudden lameness in children, guinea worm, leprosy as well as the death of pregnant women or any woman within 40 days after delivery and keep proper records of both births and deaths whether at the hospital or at home.