The Ministry of Health’s 2011 budget is focused on strengthening primary health care with the implementation of grassroots operational programmes.
And a major goal is to provide a health care system that is accessible, affordable, responsive, equitable and of high quality to the people.
The revitalisation of the village/community health worker scheme is being allocated $210,000, and $90,000 for community rehabilitation assistant project.
The ministry has already developed a prototype health centre, which will be set up in all divisions where health centres are required.
Permanent Secretary, Dr Salanieta Saketa said village health workers or community health workers have been around in Fiji since the introduction of primary health care in 1970.
“Fiji has been one of the leading countries in the world, that has taken this on,” Dr Saketa said.
Village or community health workers are volunteers, who serve their community and willingly give their time.
“The ministry has basically trained them, equipped them and urged communities to construct a dispensary in their community,” Dr Saketa said.
Dr Saketa said despite being faced with economic constraints, a lot of these communities set up their own dispensary and even continue to sustain the village health worker.
“ Most village health workers are women, who give their time voluntarily and the ministry provides them with some form of incentives/remunerations to assist them,” she said.
“Now village head men are being remunerated for the work they do for the villagers.
“We intend not only to train village workers but also communities in urban areas to train and equip them so they also work with Government. We try and remunerate them accordingly to be key champions for their community in promoting health.
“We want to promote the concept of wellness, so people rather than wait to get sick and come to hospital should change their lifestyle, to be able to live well and I think the village health workers will be trained to assist people in non-communicable diseases from diabetes to high blood pressure.”
The Health Ministry wants to establish and strengthen village health communities with each village and communities and to enable them to set up their own health committees and secretariats to promote health issues.