Historically Raihu Community Health Workers Training School was established in 1972 about 34 years now and has produced over one thousand (1000) Community Health Workers who are now delivering health services throughout the country.
There are 14 Community Health Workers Training Schools in the country (PNG). Raihu Community Health Workers Training School turned out to be the biggest in the country with a ceiling of 60 students and 6 tutors.
Raihu Community Health Workers Training School was selected by the National Department of Health Training Division as one of the top 6 schools in the country to implement the new community health workers' curriculum, which ws started in February 2006.
The new curriculum is a two (2) year certificate program which has evolved from previous programs that trained Aid Post Orderlies, Nurse Aids and the Community Health Workers to provide basic health acre to our people.
THE AIM
The major aim of this preservice course for training CHWs is the development of knowledge and skills for a base grade CHW. A CHW graduate from this course will be a beginning practioner, but be capable of functioning as a sole practioner in an Aid Post. Even though supervision is provided from the District Health Centre, a beginning CHW practitioner must be competent to make decisions about complex problems in remote locations.
Thus, a beginning CHW practitioner will have the potential to competently provide Primary Health Care (PHC) in partnership with individuals, groups and the community as a whole. PHC provided by a CHW includes assisting individuals, groups and the community to meet their basic needs as identified and prioritized by the community in different settings; and in supporting activities of daily living, care and comfort in all different settings.
The pre-service CHW training course also aims to develop skills in assessment of health care needs, identification and clinical decision-making, and the planning, implementation and evaluation of the services provided to individuals, groups and the community.
The pre-service CHW course therefore, aims to develop a practioner competent to be registered as a base grade CHW and able to practice as a:
* Health educator/ promoter
* Promoter for community action and participation in activities for individuals and communities to identify and prioritize their health needs and make decisions to address them.
* Clinician and health care provider in the home and health facility.
* Health counselor
* Health Manager and Administrator at the Aid Post level.
A CHW graduate of course is also prepared to examine CHW practices critically and to incorporate the results of the course to personal research or the research findings of others to improve and/ to maintain the quality of health services provided at home, community and aid post level.