Deputy Prime Minister and Member for Bulolo Hon Samuel H Basil’s vision to have Community Health Workers in every ward in the six LLGs of Bulolo District is on-track to be realized.
The first nine Community Health Workers, out of 175 trainees from Bulolo, will be available for aid posts and sub health centres in the district within the next month after graduating from Kwikila Training Institute, Rigo in Central Province. Mr Basil said that it is his vision to have people of Bulolo District – and other districts nationwide – have basic health services right in their wards.
“I believe that ward councilors are the true face of government because they live, go to sleep and wake up with, and face the people 24 hours, seven day a week.
“It is therefore important to ensure basic government services – aidposts, pre-schools, village courts, village constables, even ward and village book recorders, rural communications and rural electrification must be in the wards,” he added.
The training of CHWs, he said, is part of a program based on decentralized health services policy in the Bulolo District that includes: 1) training of CHWs; 2) building or refurbishing of aid posts; 3) positioning of CHWs within their own villages and/or wards; 4) ensuring supply of medical drugs and basic equipment to address midwifery, basic health needs and concerns in wards.
Mr Basil said this while handing over tuition and boarding fee payment of K84,000 to Kwikila Training Institute (KTI) Executive Director Mr Lalau Burana. A grateful Mr Burana said that Mr Basil, as chairman of Bulolo District Development Authority Board, has been very supportive of Kwikila Training Institute.
“Since the start of KTI, Bulolo has enrolled over 175 CHW trainees beginning with nine in 2018, 36 in 2019, 48 last year and 82 this year,” said Mr Burana. “The funding and tuition fees paid for Bulolo CHW trainees over the years has assisted in the construction a double-classroom, student dormitory and a mess.”
His vision of having CHWs in every ward of Bulolo District is not going to benefit Bulolo but with his support of KTI many other provinces and districts in Central, Hela, Milne Bay, Northern and Sandaun are going to benefit.
Mr Burana said that the payment of this K84,000 means that KTI can go ahead to assist the Medical Board of Papua New Guinea to do their inspections and audit of the performance of the trainee CHWs.
Preliminary reports of Bulolo trainee CHWs performance on practical, especially in the districts of Central Province, have been quite commendable, according to Mr Burana.
Medical Board member, Dr Russel Kitau, when informed of the funds was quite pleased because they can now do inspections and compile reports for the 45 CHWs who are ready to graduate.
These reports, Dr Kitau said, are vital for the Medical Board to consider for issues of certificates and register these new graduates before they start working. Mr Burana anticipates that the graduation ceremony of this pioneer KTI CHW trainees would held before the end of April.
PICTURE CAPTION: Cheque hand-over: Deputy Prime Minister and Bulolo MP Hon Samuel H. Basil, MP hands over a cheque of K84,000 to Kwikila Training Institute Executive Director and founder, Mr Lalau Burana last week.
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