BY STAFF REPORTER
Ethiopia is working committedly to create quality on healthcare services, infrastructure development in rural areas, upgrading the capacity of health practitioners through trainings, renovation and expansion of health posts as well as equipping health posts with the necessary equipment and supplies, As a result, over the past year, it was enabled to register substantial success in the healthcare sector. Particularly, through country’s Health Extension Program (HEP) it has enabled to attain remarkable achievements. It was enabled to access healthcare services for all, especially in rural parts of the country, introduce reproductive health services and family planning care, reduce maternal and newborn mortality rates, minimize the impacts of communicable diseases, hygiene and sanitation, among others.
Currently, devising various programs, such as Second Generation Health Extension Program (SGHEP), the Ministry of Health (MoH) is working arduously to sustain the successes, as well as to prevent, prepare for and respond to shocks in selected areas of Ethiopia.
Of late, the Ministry has launched the first ever in its kind Comprehensive Health Post in Jimma Zone Seka Chekorsa woreda. This Comprehensive Health Post which is said one of the first planned health posts in the country has started providing exemplary quality healthcare services to the community, including maternity services.
Launching the program, Health Minister Dr. Lia Tadesse said that The Ministry of Health has set plans to extend comprehensive health posts in all parts of the country in its Second Generation Health Extension Program.
To realize this plan, the Ministry is working persistently- to build 100 primary health posts across the country, improve the health of citizens, provide equitable and quality primary health care to the general public. As part of this effort, with the participation and support of the community and government, the Seka Chekorsa Woreda Setema Goro Comprehensive Health Post has become a reality.
Extending her gratitude for those entities and the people who contributed their share in making the health post a reality, Dr. Lia called on all parties to work hard and make the Second Generation Comprehensive health posts that have already commenced in other areas a reality through scaling up the good practices gained from Seka Chekorsa Health Post.
Expressing his wonder at the successful completion of the health post built by the participation and unwavering dedication of the public, Public and International Relations Head of Prosperity Party, Bikila Hurissa(PhD) said that the community hopefully will repeat the success in other development endeavors too. The government will discharge its leadership role at all level, he added.
Deputy Head of the Oromia Health Bureau, Dr. Gusha Beleko, on his part said that the Oromia State Health Bureau is implementing various activities taking into account Ministry’s Second Generation Health Extension and Primary Healthcare Service plans. As an integral part of this, it is working to build over three hundred comprehensive health posts at all woredas. The Second Generation Health Extension program is designed to give a wide range of basic healthcare services at health posts in addition to maternity services.
As documents reveal, the Second Generation Health Extension Program is a major plan of the Ministry designed to strengthen provision of primary and community health care through more qualified community health workers, upgraded health post infrastructure and an expanded package of community health services. Thus, implementing the Program accordingly, strengthens health post capacity to prevent, prepare for and respond to shocks, including through enhanced household coverage of key services.
Ethiopia’s Second Generation Rural HEP includes upgrading health extension workers (HEWs) to level four community health nurses, renovation and expansion of health posts. The program also embraces equipping and supplying health posts with the necessary equipment and supplies, shifting basic services to the community level, it was learnt.
The Ethiopian Herald March 29/2022
