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."