f
community health worker for every inhabited island and for
those islands
with larger numbers of people that there be one worker fom
approximately
every 50-75 inhabitants living in the area surrounding] the community
health worker.
|
Their training would primarily be that of “on-the-job training"
usually with a one month course of instruction at the beg{nning of their
career followed by ongoing continuing education given
py the medical
assistant along with his supervisory role such that they
dventually have
the equivalent of approximately six months of training.
[Selected well-
qualified community health workers should receive suffifient training
to be eligibie to become health assistants.
2.
Health Assistant
At present primary care is delivered on the outer igl]ands by about
55 health assistants, the majority of which were trained
after World War
II by Navy corpmen in a short (6 to 9 month) emergency medical course in
Majuro.
Many of them are elderly and approaching retifement.
Their
educational level is low, averaging 3-5 years of elementary schooling,
and their perceived role is limited almost exclusively|to "clinical"
medicine.
In
recent years
some additional
health afsistants were
trained through the public health division on Majuro.
assistants
are younger,
These health
have a secondary school education and will
probably stay in the system much longer.
approximately 9 months also.
Their course
training was
All of the health assistants work in the
small clinics on the islands and see very few patients.
Health assistants are able to provide more primary
than that of a community health worker but stil] must
care services
the support and consultation of medical assistants who
pervise them.
ly heavily on
They will utilize more medications in treatment becaus
of a greater
ability to diagnose the simple and common health problems
Many of them
are able to care for minor wounds including suturing, co
uct obstetric
deliveries and care for minor orthopedic injuries as well
as carry out
the preventive services such as immunizations, health
education, wel]
child care, antenatal and post partum care, family pla
ing services,
and the prevention, detection, and treatment of malnutr? jon,
The superviston of the health assistant is the samefas that of the
community health worker with whom they have daily intfalagoon radio