Assessment of community health aides

A research project funded by the Commonwealth Caribbean Medical Research Council (CCMRC) began in February 1987, to study aspects of the situation in connection with 508 Community Health Aides (CHAs) employed in Government Service of Jamaica. There were in the service 1,328 CHAs in 1978, reduced to 1,183 in 1982 and to 1,168 in 1984. By 1985/86 the numbers were further reduced, reaching the low figure of 508. This report deals specifically with the responses of 615 members of the community who were interviewed, and questionnaires were returned from all parishes in the four administrative health areas in Jamaica. The responses from community members are very important in the assessment of community health aides as members of the community health team. A number of useful and practical suggestions were reflected in their responses regarding service from community health aides (AU)

Survey of community health aides in Jamaica (1987-1988)

The community health aide (CHA) programme was initiated in 1967, and, by the early 1980s, 1,328 CHAs had been trained and over 1,100 remained in the service. The aim of the programme was to train CHAs to assist in the delivery of basic health care. During the restructuring of the health services in 1985-1986, many CHAs were made redundant. As part of a large study aimed at assessing the current status of the CHA programme, this paper reports results of interviews with 415 CHAs still in service in 1987-1988 and 134 showed that they continued to perform duties in the community and in health centres with emphasis on the maternal and child health services and the management of diabetics and hypertensives. The survey of CHAs no longer employed as such showed that the majority remained unemployed though many continued to use their skills on a voluntary basis. These CHAs felt that home visiting had been reduced and environmental health was being neglected since they left, and that problems were not being regularly reported to the professionals at the health centres. It was recommended that all CHAs be offered training in the taking of blood pressure levels and in the giving of insulin injections to diabetics. Recommendations included improved methods of selection, longer training, greated community outreach, especially to the elderly, post-training evaluation, regular assessment of the CHAs' performance, and improved upward mobility opportunities and job security (AU)

The use of community health aides as perceived by their supervisors in Jamaica, West Indies (1987/88)

A research project funded by the Commonwealth Caribbean Medical Research Council (CCMRC) began in February 1987, to study aspects of the situation in connection with the 508 community health aides employed in the Government Service of Jamaica. This report deals specifically with the role of supervisors (public health nurses and midwives) in relation to community health aides (CHAs) employed in the government primary health care service, Jamaica. There were 77 supervisors interviewed, and questionnaires were returned from all four administrative health areas in Jamaica. The supervisors reported that they could supervise more CHAs in the community setting than in the clinic setting alone. In-service training was an integral part of CHA programme, and there was regular evaluation of the CHAs, with at least an annual evaluation in keeping with the policy of the agency. Resource persons from other sectors assist in continuing education programmes for the CHAs. The study outlines the main weaknesses and the strengths of the community health aide programme, and highlights the fact that CHA is a valuable member of the health team and does contribute significantly to primary health care (AU)

Training primary health care workers for the Caribbean

In a programme inaugurated in Jamaica, community health aides have been trained to act as primary health workers. They form an important link between health departments and the communities they serve. The idea, which has spread to other Caribbean countries, is helping to solve the problem of manpower to meet health service needs.(AU)

An analysis of health problems of Commonwealth Caribbean countries and the priorities

In summary, then, new curricula and new methods of training are needed and these should be designed for our special needs. There must be experimentation in the provision and organization of health services and the delivery of health care. There must be a recognition of the needs of the society and the changes necessary to meet them. In our Caribbean communities, we are now at the critical stage where our health manpower needs cannot possibly be met by using the present methods. It is also important that more persons in health receive training in managerial skills (AU)

Training health auxiliaries

There is a need for training auxiliaries as members of the health team. This paper describes a pilot project in the training of Community Health Aides developed by the Department of Social & Preventive Medicine, in 1967, in a sub-urban area adjacent to the University of the West Indies. Based on this experiment, a second training programme was executed in a deep rural area in 1969/1970, and the usefulness of community health aides as members of the health team was further demonstrated. Consequently, the Government of Jamaica has accepted this new category of worker and, since 1972, has trained approximately 400 who are working in both rural and urban districts. Provision is being made for the training of another 600 aides in the near future. It is hoped that training programmes may be developed in other territories of the Caribbean, as efforts are made to meet the health needs of our several communities. (AU)

Training health auxiliaries

There is a need for training auxiliaries as members of the health team. This paper describes a pilot project in the training of community Health Aides developed by the Department of Social & Preventive Medicine, in 1967, in a sub-urban area adjacent to the University of the West Indies. Based on this experiment, a second training programme was executed in a deep rural area in 1969/1970, and the usefulness of Community Health Aides as members of the health team was further demonstrated. Consequently, the Government of Jamaica has accepted this new category of worker and since 1972, has trained approximately 400 who are working in both rural and urban districts. Provision is being made for the training of another 600 aides in the near future. It is hoped that training programmes may be developed in other territories of the Caribbean, as efforts are made to meet the health needs of our several communities. (AU)

Community medicine - an analysis of student clerkship in the department of social & preventative medicine, U.W.I. over a five-year period 1967-1972 - abstract

Medical students at the University of the West Indies are assigned to a five-week clerkship in the Department of Social and preventative Medicine during their second clinical year. One-tenth of the classes rotated every five weeks over a 50-week period each year, and approximately 400 students have had their first experience of an organized course in Community Medicine from April, 1967, to March, 1972. During the period under review, the students received training and experience through participation in the Community Health Services programme of this Department in the neighbouring Hermitage/August Town communities, the City Health Department of the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation, Social Welfare Agencies, various institutions in the Corporate Area (Kingston and St. Andrew). In the third and fourth weeks of the clerkship, students are attached to the Medical Officer of Health and his team in the rural parishes of Jamaica - the aim being to give them an opportunity to appreciate, participate in, and study various aspects of the whole spectrum of health care. A very important part of the programme is the continuous evaluation and assessment by staff, students, field preceptors and their staff through questionnaires, project reports, personal contacts, etc. Comments and suggestions by teachers and students of various stages have resulted in modifications and innovations of the clerkship programme. Many students have indicated that they now see their role as physicians concerned with community health as well as the care of individual patients. A reasonable proportion of final year students have done electives under auspices of the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine. There has also been an increase in the number of young graduates applying for post as Medical Officer in the Health Service section of the Department where they gain valuable experience in Community Medicine. There is a growing awareness and appreciation by the students of dedicated services by members of the health team, as exemplified particularly during the rural experience. The clerkship has apparently also created an awareness of the various health problems and a greater interest among students in becoming involved in seeking solutions to health problems, also in operational research and the delivery of health care in communities with inadequate health services (AU)

A community health aide training programme in a developing country

The Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of the West Indies, reports on (a) a four-month experimental training programme for community health aides drawn from a sub-urban low to middle socio-economic community, (b) a three-month training programme in rural area. The overall aim was to give the aides a basic minimum training so that they could function as auxiliaries under supervision, relieving highly trained personnel to utilise their skills and training more effectively. The aides have worked in various positions, namely: in comprehensive health care programmes, in physiotherapy, as field workers in research projects, and in family planning. Evaluation of the programme indicates that these workers have performed satisfactorily and that a community health aide can be a very useful member of the health team in our developing countries. (Summary)

A community health aide training programme

The Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of the West Indies, reports on a four-month experimental training programme for Community Health Aides drawn from a low to middle socio-economic community. The overall aim was to give the Aides a basic minimum training so that they could function as auxiliaries under supervision, relieving highly trained personnel to utilize their skills and training more effectively. The aides who were trained have worked during the past year in various positions, namely: in comprehensive health care programmes, in physiotherapy, as field workers in research projects, and in family planning. Evaluation of the programme indicates that these workers have performed satisfactorily and that a community health aide can be a very useful member of the health team in our developing communities (Summary)

Programa de adiestramiento de asistentes en salud de la comunidad / A community health aide training program

The Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of the West Indies, reports on a four-month experimental training program for community health aides drawn from a low to middle socio-economic community. The overall aim was to give the aides a basic minimum training so that they could function as auxiliaries under supervision, relieving highly trained personnel to utilize their skills and training more effectively. The aides who were trained have worked during the past year in various positions, namely: in comprehensive health care programs, in physiotherapy, as field workers in research projects, and in family planning. Evaluation of the program indicates that these workers have performed satisfactorily and that a community health aide can be a very useful member of the health team in our developing communities. (Summary)