CBHP’s Capability Building and Adoption of BHWS on PHC Approaches in Sto. Tomas, Batangas

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the UP-PGH-DFCM CBHP’s capability building and adoption of Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) on Primary Health Care (PHC) approaches in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. Specifically, this study intended to answer the following questions: (1) what are the specific functions of the barangay health workers in the community-based health program? (2) did the BHWs adopt the primary health care approaches in their functions at the barangay health centers? (3) which of the approaches created the greatest impact among the barangay health workers’ functions in the community-based health program? (4) what are the CBHPs capability-building strategies for barangay health workers? (5) would the BHWs want another capability building of similar kind?

The objectives of this study aimed to: a) determine the specific functions of the barangay health workers in the community based health program; b) identify the primary health care approaches in the functions of barangay health workers in community based health program; c) find out which of the primary health care approaches created the greatest impact among barangay health workers’ functions in the community based health program; d) determine the capability building strategies recommended by the UP-PGH-DFCM for BHWs to adopt the PHC approaches; and e) provide policy recommendations for the barangay health workers in disseminating information of their functions and approaches in the primary health care of the community based health program.

This study was basically a survey, using a combination of structured questionnaire and interview to obtain data from 83 BHW respondents, using simple random sampling. A questionnaire was designed to get the respondents’ functions and approaches in the PHC. Moreover, this study used distribution of responses by percentages as tools for data analysis presented in dummy tables of one-way, single response and two-way, multiple response.

The results of this study stated that of 83 respondents, 70 of them received direct training while 13 of them obtained indirect training in the CBHP. Of their functions in the barangay health centers, 67 percent of the respondents could educate and counsel TB patients, 100 percent on provision of health care on nutrition, and deworming. Seventy one percent of the respondents could organize group meetings and/or mothers class. Meanwhile, respondents get additional information in the CBHP’s capability building; of the strategies provided to them, they claimed to have training on the following: 100 percent as health educators, 94 percent as community organizers, and 81 percent as health care providers. One hundred of them can recall herbal medicine, 86 percent claimed to network with LGU (mayor, councilors, barangay captains, barangay councilors). Sixty three percent of them identified UP-PGH in advocacy work, 84 percent of them stated to tap mothers in community organizing and 78 percent identified lecture demonstrations for monitoring and evaluation. Furthermore, 36 percent of the respondents were satisfied with the training shared by the UP-PGH-DFCM on CBHP while 30 percent still in need of a refresher course on values orientation, provision of health care, health promotion, patient-BHW relationship. Ninety six percent of the respondents indicate that of their household assignments, 1-100% patients received consultations at barangay health centers from year 2000 to year 2001. This means a success in the effort of UP-PGH-DFCM CBHP’s capability building.

Recommendations for this study included: strengthening social marketing and social mobilization among respondents; assign job rotation, exposures, observation and study tours to successful programs implemented on different functions and approaches in the DOH programs at the barangay level; continuing partnerships with a different individual, groups and organizations for sustainability of the program. Tie up with development communicators for activities on IEC, and tap other local organizations for IEC distributions; respondents are potential partners not only in development of health-related projects but also in community development. They can link with other local and international organizations for projects such as income generation, environment and agriculture to solve problems not only in health but other aspects of development as well.