Critical Analysis on the Viability of Using Community Based Surveillance Volunteers in Health Service Delivery
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Date
2009
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Abstract
The use of Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) to support health delivery systems in Ghana has been employed since the implementation of the Primary Heath Care in 1978. Ironically most of the previous CHV schemes could not be sustained. Nonetheless, the success of any community health programme depends very much on the extent to which the community participates. Invariably the non-viability of CHVs could undermine the success of any community programmes. Thus knowing how viable the present community health volunteer's schemes are would be useful to health planners and/ or health managers.
The main objective of the study was to ascertain the viability of using Community-Based Surveillance Volunteers (CBSVs) in health delivery systems.
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A descriptive cross-sectional study using both quantitative and qualitative methods was employed. A total of 132 CBSVs were randomly selected using a table of random numbers. Records of CBS volunteers at the North and South district health directorates, health facilities and in the communities were also updated and reviewed. Community leaders and health workers directly involved in CBS volunteers were interviewed as key informants. History of previous village or community volunteers were also elicited using the snowball technique.
Majority of the respondents, 118 (89.4%) intended to work as volunteers for good. Besides, the level of satisfaction and motivation and morale among the CBSVs were found to be high. Volunteers expected financial and material gains from both the community leaders and the health
workers. Nevertheless whilst the health workers have significantly supported the CBSV in terms of money, Wellington Boots, rain coats, etc. the community leaders were yet to support the volunteers.
The present scheme was found to be an improvement over the pervious ones in areas of supervision, communication, training and capacity building; there were positive features which could make the scheme viable. However the spirit of volunteerism where people use their time, effort and energy to help their communities without asking for financial gains are found to be at the lowest in the study area which is a threat to the viability of the scheme.
It is recommended among other things that the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, District Assemblies for Nkoranza North and South district as well as other stakeholders should mobilize financial resources to support the CBS volunteers regularly.
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A thesis submitted to the Institute of Distance Learning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Commonwealth Executive Masters in Business Administration