Kingston, Jamaica — Forty-one Community Health Aides (CHAs) from St Ann, St Catherine, and Clarendon have officially received certification in specialised foot care following the successful completion of a three-month training programme under the Health Systems Strengthening Programme (HSSP).
The Foot Care Assistant Level 1 training concluded in December, and enhanced the capacity of the CHAs to deliver critical foot care services to patients living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly diabetes, as foot complications, including ulcers and infections, are among the leading causes of hospitalisation and amputation for diabetic patients.
The graduates were celebrated today (February 26) in a closing ceremony in Twickenham Park, St Catherine. During the ceremony, Minister of Health & Wellness Dr the Hon. Christopher Tufton reminded the CHAs of the critical role they play in modern healthcare.
“The future of healthcare involves influencing people where they live and work to change their lifestyles, in order to prevent non-communicable diseases. It’s not the doctors in the offices who will do the most effective job at that; it’s you in the communities,” Tufton said. “You are the ones who have the best relationships with the people, and you have a critical role to play in sharing accurate information and building trust with the citizens.”
He continued: “Upskilling you in this area will not only allowing you to provide more care to persons in the communities, but you will also be equipped with more valuable information to share with them as you build these relationships.”
The training, conducted by the Jamaica Chapter of the World Walk Foundation, aligns with the Chronic Care Model (CCM) for Jamaica, which is being piloted under the HSSP. This model is focused on providing a comprehensive approach to NCD management at the point of care.
Speaking at the ceremony, NCD lead at the HSSP, Professor Alafia Samuels noted that the training included CHAs attached to more than 10 health centres across the three parishes.
“We did that on purpose – we have trained widely, and we are giving you the instruments to carry out the job,” she noted. “Now, it is up to you to take what you have learned and put it into practice. Your role is crucial in ensuring better health outcomes for our patients, especially those with diabetes.”
The CCCM pilot is being implemented under component two of the HSSP, which was launched in 2018. This programme is committed to improving the management and delivery of healthcare services across Jamaica, with a focus on preventing and managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The programme is supported by a US $50 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), USD $87 million in funding from the Government of Jamaica, and a USD $10 million grant from the European Union.
A total of 13 facilities – three hospitals and ten health centres – across central Jamaica are benefitting from enhanced infrastructure, information systems and improved processes under this initiative.