ROLES of the

BARANGAY HEALTH WORKER

BASIC TRAINING FOR BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS

Calasiao, Pangasinan

You all have different reasons for being here as Barangay Health Workers, but the most important ones are:

1. We know there are health problems in our community;

2. We are committed to helping find solutions to these problems.

As a Barangay Health Worker, you are also a:

1. Community organizer;2. Health educator; and3. Health service provider.

The qualities of a BHW are:

3 Cs – Compassionate (kind) - Committed - Creative (resourceful)

2 Vs - Voluntary Spirit -Visionary leadership

1 P - Patient1 H - Healthy1 T - Team Worker (Good model/approachable)

A. The Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) are trained to serve in a barangay health station (BHS) situated in his/her home for a specific number of families/households under his/her coverage.

1. First and foremost, he/she must be able to give adequate out-patient care and this includes;

- Recognize signs and symptoms of common illness.

- Recognition and referral of those needing care.

2. Secondly, he/she must be able to give adequate assistance to the midwives and/or nurses in the care of mothers and children in the promotion of maternal and child health and this includes;

- Arrangements and assistance in clinics, including preventive and curative care and immunization.

- The ability to detect and refer the at-risk mothers and at-risk children

- Referral of obstetrical emergencies- Ensure Birth Plan for all pregnant mothers

- Monitoring of monthly weight and other health care needs of the children.

3. He/she must be able to advise, encourage and initiate improvements in the environmental health at the barangay level. This includes;

- Improvement in sanitation as well as household and community hygiene.

- Arrange and conduct lectures on environmental-related illnesses.

4. He/she must be able to assist family planning service with emphasis on activities such as;

- Provide information on the methods of FP- Referral of all potential and new family planning

acceptors- Follow-up defaulters.

5. he/she must be able to;- Provide simple nutrition information to the

community - Identify and refer malnourished children to

the midwives - Assist in weighing of children during

“OPERATION TIMBANG” 6. He/she must be able to give adequate

assistance to the midwives in the prevention and control of communicable diseases prevalent in the local community. This includes;

- Identification of common communicable diseases prevalent in the area.

- Reporting in the occurrence of communicable diseases.

- Referral of cases of communicable diseases.

7. He/she must be able to administer and manage activities as BHW at the BHS and this includes;

- Care and safe keeping of drug supply and medical equipments.

- Programming of their activities - Delineation of principal duties,

task and targets - Good public relation and work as

a team with BHS and RHU personnel

B. The BARANGAY HEALTH WORKER is trained clinically in different aspects of health care.The BHW must be able to:

recognized situations requiring referral Recognized all common medical condition

including the common communicable diseases.

Treat all common medical Assist the midwife in diseases investigations

C. The BARANGAY HEALTH WORKER is trained to initiate, organize, supervised and conduct activities for preventive medicines such as;

pre-natal care post-natal care child health care immunization campaigns nutrition rehabilitation health education in schools and other places surveys

D. The BARANGAY HEALTH WORKER, in order to fulfill both clinical and community aspects of his/her work at the health center, he/she must be able to perform administrative function, such as;

- Assist and conduct surveys. - Keep records - Perform monitoring and reporting - Maintain good relations with the public

The role of a BARANGAY HEALTH WORKER is a difficult one. It entails a lot of sacrifices to oneself and his/her family… but the contentment of helping those in need and the gratitude extended to a BHW for his/her care and support to his/her community are more than enough to cover for the efforts and time spent as a …

BARANGAY HEALTH WORKER.

God bless everyone!