RC will penalise errant CHWs

Regional Chairman Brentnol Ashley threatens strong disciplinary measures against Community
Health Workers (CHWs) whose performance on the job is below par.
Mr. Ashley is unhappy that CHWs in Barima–Waini (Region One) not only abuse the system
under which they are employed, but, more worrying, provide sub-standard service to residents of
the interior area.
“There have been numerous complaints about CHWs being absent from work, or are late when
they do show up. Myself, the DREO (Deputy Regional Executive Officer) and other officials
visited several Health Centres and found them closed long before the scheduled 4pm leaving
many residents without access to vital services. We visited several Health Centres and found that
long after 10 am they were not open not allowing the community to benefit. In all of this it is the
residents of Region One who are suffering significantly,” Ashley complained.
These lapses will no longer be tolerated this year, the RC promised, referring to a case in which
the CHW was missing in action (MIA) three months from the job.
“Myself and a team visited a community called Cawaikure and I enquired about the services of
the CHW Mr. Daniel Roberts who was supposed to be there and had not attend the village for
three months. I would have summoned the REO and the RHO (Regional Health Officer) to find
out what was going on. The RHO was unaware that the Health Worker was not at Wairkiru for
the three months. When we got to the bottom of the matter, we were told that he didn’t go. The
REO then decided that he will put his salary on hold until justification can be made as to why or
where he was in that period. This had nothing to do with COVID 19 at the time. This guy would
have served at other communities such as, St. Anslem where he had several problems with
community members. The village had demanded his removal and he was sent to Morawhanna.
He also had problems there too and was forced to be removed. We sent him to Barima Koraibo
and Powaikuru and like the previous two places similar problems occurred. So, the only defense

that he could have used when this was revealed was having the MCH Supervisor, Medex Jilks
lying on his behalf saying how he was at the Mabaruma Regional Hospital,” the RC explained.
When the deadly Corona Virus surfaced, CHW Roberts pounced on existing gaps in the local
health system and exploited it to his advantage.
“The issue that the RDC had was Roberts not working for three months and being paid. So, the
REO instructed RHO Dr. Steven Cheefoon to have the matter investigated within the hospital,”
Ashley explained.
He said the probe unearthed unconventional ways the shifty MCH Supervisor Jilks sought to
deflect evidence in a bid to cover herself, the RC explained.
He said his office has been inundated by an avalanche of complaints against CHWs blamed for
ignoring established protocols and disregarding medical emergencies.
“We have had complaints of CHWs attending to medical emergencies when they feel like it,” the
Regional Chairman said.
Roberts is a magnet for trouble the RC said, blaming him for torching a health centre.
“That guy lit garbage under the health centre at St Anslem which caused the health centre to
burn down. The RDC did not take action against him for that, so there is much more that he has
done but he isn’t telling the complete truth. We have significant evidence on the many things that
this man has done,” the RC said.
Then there was controversy over the manner of his selection to be trained as a CHW.
“The Medex (Jilks) Daniel’s grandfather who was the Chairman of the community and at the
time his father was the CHW. They (Jilks and Daniel’s father) did not consult the community to
decide the best candidate to be trained as the CHW, they unilaterally identified Daniel from the
family circle to be trained. By the time the villagers found out he had already started the training
and the community was very disappointed as he wasn’t the best candidate at the time so that is
how he became a Community,” the RC recalled.