|
Veep launches Health Extension Workers Module at Dodowa
Dodowa (G/A), Feb. 12, GNA- Vice President Alhaji Aliu
Mahama on Monday launched the Health Extension Workers
Module envisaged to train over 13,000 auxiliary staff to
support professional nurses.
The module, which is under the National Youth Employment
Programme (NYEP) would expose the beneficiaries to six
months formal training and then posted to the rural
communities, where they would implement Government's policy
of providing health service at the doorstep of every
Ghanaian.
Vice President Mahama, who launched the programme at Dodowa
in the Greater Accra Region, said the NYEP was a response to
the Global Initiative to address unemployment and
under-employment within the context of the Growth and
Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS 11).
It is also in line with the UN Millennium Development Goals
and the Summit of Heads of State and Governments of the
African Union in Burkina Faso, in 2004, which sought to
fashion out a comprehensive policy to address the problem of
unemployment.
He said the Youth in Agriculture module had registered
74,870 people. 13,000 of the number have been employed.
Under the Community Education Teaching module 20,021 people
have been recruited while 8,550 youth are under-going
training to support the Police and other security agencies.
Vice President Mahama said out of the 8,550 people who had
registered for the Waste and Sanitation Module, 4,550 of
them had been employed.
He said the graduate internship and attachment programme was
providing jobs to about 2,800 graduates.
Mrs Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, Deputy Minister of Manpower,
Youth and Employment said the NYEP had 10 modules comprising
Community Protection System Youth-In Trades and Vocations,
Paid Internship and Industrial Attachments, Vacation jobs
and Volunteer Services.
She said the Health Extension workers would assist with
patient care, prepare patients for examination, checking and
recording vital signs, among other duties.
Mr. Samuel Owusu-Agyei, Deputy Minister of Health said there
was the need to improve the country's health resource
capacity to be able to deliver quality services and also
train middle level cadres to reduce the work- load of the
few existing health professionals.
Sheikh Ibrahim Cudjoe Quaye, Regional Minister appealed to
the citizenry not to politicise the NYEP to help reduce the
massive youth unemployment that is plaguing the country.
"If we as a people will support the programme and successive
governments continue to support it, we shall surely reduce
youth unemployment in this country by the next 15 years,
Insha Allah."
GNA
|
