RURAL HEALTH SYSTEMS - GUYANA

CURRENT PROJECT BUILDS ON WORK BEGUN IN 1976 BY THE GOG. AID GRANT MONIES WILL HELP MEET TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE COSTS. THE AID LOAN WILL SUPPORT MEDEX TRAINING UNIT STAFF, CONSTRUCTION, EQUIPMENT, AND LOCAL CONTRACT COSTS. HOST GOVERNMENT PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR SALARY, CONSTRUCTION, AND EQUIPMENT EXPENSES. HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONAL MODEL IS A 5-TIERED SYSTEM PROVIDING PRIMARY HEALTH CARE AND REFERRAL SERVICES AT EACH LEVEL. PROJECT EMPHASIS IS ON TRAINING AND DEPLOYMENT OF MEDEX AND COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS (CHW"S) AT VILLAGE LEVEL. MEDEX WILL BE TRAINED TO PERFORM PROMOTIVE, PREVENTIVE, AND CURATIVE SERVICES ACCORDING TO STANDARDIZED, COMPETENCY-BASED TRAINING MODULES. ADDITIONAL TRAINING WILL BE GIVEN IN HEALTH ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT. TWENTY-FOUR MEDEX WILL BE TRAINED PER PROJECT YEAR. CHW"S ARE SELECTED BY THEIR COMMUNITIES WITH PRIMARY PURPOSE OF PROVIDING A LINK TO THE FORMAL GOG HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. MEDEX WILL TRAIN 4 OR MORE CHW"S IN PREVENTIVE AND CURATIVE SKILLS. BY PROJECT TERMINATION, 200 CHW"S WILL BE TRAINED. SECOND MAJOR EMPHASIS OF PROJECT IS ON DEVELOPMENT OF PERMANENT MANAGEMENT INRASTRUCTURE WITHIN THE GOG HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, FOCUSING ON THE NEEDS OF RURAL HEALTH WORKERS. MINISTRY OF HEALTH PERSONNEL WILL BE ASSISTED IN DEVELOPING THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS IN AREAS OF HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT, AND STANDARDIZED OPERATIONS MANUALS WILL BE DEVELOPED TO GUIDE MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING AT LOWER LEVELS OF RURAL DELIVERY SYSTEM. THIS WILL COMPLEMENT A RELATED PROJECT BEGUN IN 1978 ON CENTRAL AND REGIONAL HEALTH ADMINISTRATION IMPROVEMENT. DEVELOPMENT OF A HEALTH AND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM IS OF HIGH PRIORITY. THIS SYSTEM WILL BE DESIGNED TO DEVELOP A RURAL HEALTH DATA BASE, AND TO COMPLEMENT THE EXISTING GUYANAN HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM. OTHER RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS IN COMMUNICATIONS, TRANSPORTATION, AND SUPPLIES WILL ALSO BE ADDRESSED.