Community health workers receive mobile phones

MUHANGA / HUYE – The Minister of Health, Dr. Richard Sezibera has encouraged Muhanga residents to use the liberation spirit as a means of working towards development and rebuilding the nation. Sezibera was addressing residents during the celebrations to mark the liberation of Kabgayi held at Gitarama stadium on June 2. During the occasion the minister also handed over 5,269 mobile phones, donated by President Paul Kagame, to health counsellors in Muhanga, Ruhango, Kamonyi and Nyanza districts. At the function,the Governor of the Southern Province, Fidel Ndayisaba encouraged area residents to work towards rebuilding their society. In a related hand over ceremony in Huye, Governor Ndayisaba called upon community health workers from Gisagara and Huye districts to always be on the look out for threats to the health of the people in their communities. Speaking during the hand over of over 1,400 mobile phone sets to community health workers on Tuesday, Ndayisaba urged the recipients of the phones to put them to good use by communicating vital health information to relevant authorities. Ndayisaba said that the handover of the mobile phones was in fulfilment of a pledge made by President Kagame last year while closing the “Itorero ry’ubuzima” that brought together community health workers from the whole country. The project being implemented by the Ministry of Health is aimed at improving health reporting systems and to better manage patient follow-up. The governor called upon the health workers to insist on the prevention of disease by preaching proper hygiene in homes and proper feeding habits among residents. The beneficiaries hailed President Kagame for promoting the use of cutting edge Information and Communication Technologies especially in the health sector. “We have been having problems with communication, these phones will help us to communicate amongst ourselves and to give reports on time,” said Athanase Munyakayanza. Ends