CHW training will see diabetic foot care, VIA screening being added.

Government will be expanding the Community Health Workers (CHWs) programme to allow for training in diabetic foot care and VIA (Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid) screening, according to Director-General of the Health Ministry, Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo. Dr. Mahadeo made this disclosure during his debate on the Nurses and Midwives Bill, on Tuesday.

The Director General stressed that the health workers will be upgraded to provide more than just “community health worker basic services.” “They’ll be upgraded to do things like diabetic foot care, they’ll be upgraded, those of them who reach a standard to be able to do VIA,” he said. Dr. Mahadeo pointed out that the expansion will enhance services especially in the hinterland regions, where healthcare systems are still advancing.

He said that the government has made training of CHWs a top priority and is being undertaken by the ministry of health. Dr. Mahadeo revealed that 54 community health workers graduated in Region One, gaining the knowledge and skills to better serve their communities within that Region in 2021. He stated further that the government is currently training persons in the area of nursing assistants.

The Director General pointed out that in Region Nine, 62 CHWs were trained and graduated with 33 others who received training to become nursing assistants.As such, the health ministry senior official said the training opportunities have been fruitful, and there is at least one CHW in every health facility across Regions One and Nine.

Dr, Mahadeo noted that government is also providing training opportunities in other areas such as laboratory technician and specialised nursing. He said that with rapid developments taking place in Guyana’s health sector, the nurses training curriculum will soon be updated with recommendations provided by international healthcare organisations.

“Currently we have with us a team from York University that is looking at the nursing curriculum so that we can bring it up to standard with the rest of the world, so that we could provide services, we could provide training comparable to the rest of the world,” the health ministry official explained.

It was disclosed that the Nurses and Midwives Bill 2022, which makes provision for the registration and regulation of nurses, midwives and nursing assistants, was passed in the National Assembly on Tuesday. Dr. Mahadeo said that the new legislation, among other things, seeks to establish the Nurses and Midwives Council, thereby setting out the functions and powers of the body, allowing it to appoint committees.