Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran has said while a community health worker is not stationed at El Paso, Region Eight, the community is being served by a health worker from the Micoby Health Post located about 20 minutes away from the village.
Ramsaran’s explanation was given in response to a question posed in the National Assembly. The minister had been asked why no health worker was posted in the 100-strong Region Eight community.
In a written response circulated last Thursday, Ramsaran said in 2011, the community health worker stationed at the El Paso (same as Tumatumari or Cassava Hill) health post resigned and another one was not assigned there until April 2012. This health worker was then transferred to the Moruwa Health Post after it was determined that the need was greater there and an alternative/replacement worker was being prepared for deployment.
During this transition phase, the regional administration renovated and furnished the health worker’s apartment. However, the works were not completed in a timely manner and the new health worker could not be deployed to the location.
This new worker is now stationed at the Mahdia Sub-district located about an hour away from Central Mahdia. The Mahdia Hospital now has seen an increase in staff and as such the local administration was advised to host more outreaches to remote locations.
In addition, APNU MP Vanessa Kissoon had asked Human Services Minister Jennifer Webster why no welfare officer was posted in the area. Webster said currently no probation and social services officer is assigned to the community as the ministry has yet to find a suitably qualified person to fill that post. Also, since there are no prepared accommodations in that area, the ministry would prefer to appoint a suitably qualified individual residing there to fill that post, she said.
