Ho, June 23, GNA - Mr George Kumi Kyeremeh, Chief Nursing Officer, on Wednesday, called for unity and collaboration among the various categories of nurses, to restore the "sunken image" of nursing in the country. He was addressing the opening ceremony of the 10th National Delegates Congress of the Community Health Nurses Group in Ho.

It was on the theme "Promoting Malaria Prevention and Treatment at the CHPS Zone- The Role of the Community Health Nurse (CHN)".

Mr Kyeremeh said Community Health Nurses as front liners in the medical delivery structure, were strategically placed to send the "right signals to clients about the nobility of the profession".

He described the functions of Community Health Nurses in the preventive health care strategy from the CHPS Zones as the "powerhouse of service delivery," paramount in the fight against malaria.

CHPS Zones or Community Based Health Planning Services are geographically mapped out areas, where nurses provide services, including education through partnership with community leaders and social groups. Mr Kyeremeh demanded that nurses strived to meet professional standards to the satisfaction of clients, noting, "our actions and inactions can either make or unmake someone's life".

He called for equity in managing the different categories of nurses, ensuring that all groups in the profession were "treated fairly, accorded due respect, and made to feel part of the team, and treated with dignity". Mr Kyeremeh called for enough incentives packages for the Community Health Nurses, who worked in outlandish areas.

"There is the need to review current policies with respect to rural incentive packages, postings, opportunities for further studies and carrier progression," he stated, lauding the reintroduction of the opportunity for these category of nurses to take midwifery courses. Mrs Fanny Enos, National President of the Group, said the congress was to take stock, plan for the future, and bring members in tune with changing methods in nursing, to increase their competencies. She said the fact that the theme for last year and this year were both on the fight against malaria, underscored the importance of the fight against malaria to the primary health care delivery programme. Dr Gloria Quansah Asare, Director of Family Health Division of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), conceded that malaria could not be fought successfully without the services of community health nurses. She said that group of nurses, in collaboration with community based agents and volunteers, do the education and manage the malaria cases in the communities, including referrals. Dr Asare called for intensive work to raise the numbers of people who slept under treated mosquito nets, which remained under 50 percent. Dr Timothy Letsa, acting Volta Regional Director of the GHS, commended the community health nursing student whose close observation of pupils reporting sick at a clinic alerted the health authorities to act quickly against the H1N1 disease in the Ho municipal area.

Mr Joseph Amenowode, Volta Regional Minister, expressed regret about the 40,000 deaths annually from malaria in the country, said some communities in the region were being sprayed against the disease.