CHPS compound key component in Community Health delivery service — Ada East Health Director

Dr Boakye addressing the residents with Ms Pobee

Residents have been charged to get involved in the management of the Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) in their respective jurisdictions to ensure sustenance and better community health delivery services.

“When the community members are engaged in the operations of such initiatives, the overall outcome of the project is enhanced and access to quality health care services is improved,” Dr. Kofi Baokye, Ada East Health Director, who made the statement challenged residents to get involved in the management and sustenance of CHPS Compounds

Dr. Boakye explained this during a community durbar organized by the Ada East District Assembly to educate the resident on some basic rights and also to draw the community closer to the assembly as monitored by the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) at Ada.

He described the CHPS compound as a key component in health delivery service at the community level as such, it was important to be managed and sustain to render effective service to the community members.

The Health Director indicated that the CHPS compound concept was based on the principles that the community owns and manages within the framework of a community-based health facility.

Dr. Boakye said the original concept of the CHPS compound was to be built by the members of the community.

He said, however, that the government wanted to attain a certain goal in terms of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the CHPS compound was now being constructed through the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDCAs).

He said the government's attempt to uplift health care delivery services did not take out the responsibility of the community members to maintain and sustain such initiatives.

“Going forward, everything that concerns the facility, the welfare of nurses, security, upkeep in terms of electricity, water, everything has to be provided for by the community,” Dr. Boakye added.

Ms. Sarah Dugbakie Pobee, the Ada East District Chief Executive used the occasion to advise residents to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols to curtail its spread in the communities even though the restrictions have been removed.

She said the pandemic was still present and called on the residents to support the government’s efforts in curbing the spread of the virus, adding; “We must work together to fight COVID-19”.

Ms. Pobee said protocols such as the washing of hands, application of hand sanitizer, and social distancing not only reduce the viral spread but also improved health as they prevented the body from contracting other diseases.

She said the Assembly had organized numerous campaigns to sensitize the people on the need to adhere to the protocols but, unfortunately, the response had not been encouraging.

Ms. Pobee expressed concern over the perception by some people that the disease was not in existence while others believed that the virus only existed in Accra and other major cities, saying: “This is not encouraging but we will continue to educate our people to follow the protocols”.

She said the country was suffering a third wave of the COVID-19 hence the need to strictly adhere to the safety protocols.