Health Assistant Sonam's experience on Play Session

I joined in Royal Institute of Health Science (RIHS) for health worker training in 1998 and completed my training course in 2000. I was posted in remotest places where I needed to walk on foot for 4 day from road and head to Sombaykha under Haa Dzongkhag. I being a health worker to serve communities for their well-being of people, I visit village to village for monitoring health and hygiene to promote their good health and prevent from vulnerable diseases. 

In PHC level, PHC team need to look after more than twenty-two different program beside providing essential health care services and treatment. We do have indoor and outdoor health activities. The following daily indoor health activities were carried out in the PHC from 9 AM to 3 PM. 

1.     In Maternal and Child Health (M CH)

Ø  Immunization, Family planning service, Health monitoring for both mother and child, ANC and PNC health checkup for both mother and child, Recording and reporting from Register.

2.     Laboratory activities

Ø  Random Blood sugar test

Ø  Blood grouping test

Ø  Blood hemoglobin test

Ø  Urine Albumin and sugar test

Ø  Urine Gravida test

3.     Outpatient Division (OPD case)

Ø  Registration of patient, examination of patient, prescribing and treating patient, and providing medical advice Dos and Don’t

4.     Indoor patient

Ø  Admitting patient and treating, after doing if patient need further evaluation refer to Hospital after consulting with Doctor.

5.     Minor operator Therapy (MOT)

Ø  Suturing and dressing, Injection

6.     Store management for both Drugs and Non-drugs updating, corresponding paper work and dispatching daily recording and reporting.

7.     To conduct monthly C4CD plus session in PHC

Out -door Health activities: -

1.     Conducting Monthly Out -reach Clinic (ORC)

Ø  Immunization, height and measurement for children

Ø  ANC checkup for mother and PNC checkup for both mother and baby

Ø  Providing Health education to beneficiaries 

Ø  Conducting C4CD plus session program

Ø  Screening BCDST for all children

Ø  Providing minor treatment

2.     Community health visit to reach the un-reach health program to promote health of people and to prevent from diseases to prevent from Mortality and morbidity.

3.     Water quality testing in community

4.     Home bound patient visit

5.     Attending emergency out call

Other unplanned or Ad-hoc program: -

Ø  Pap smear screening program

Ø  Gastric cancer screening program

Ø  PEN/HEART Screening program

Ø  COVID-19 vaccination program

Ø  COVID 19 surveillance program 

After doing C4CD plus Training of the Trainers (ToT) and refresher ToT, we provided C4CD plus training to all HAs under Punakha District. My PHC team had provided C4CD plus sensitized to all caregivers/mothers and local government members for support. 

Ø  In initial stage of session, the progress of attending caregivers in session up to session 3 is quite good in both PHC Group and ORC Group. After session 3 care givers attendance gradually declined in PHC level group and ORC group remain good as it. We have zero male attendance till date. 

Ø  After enrolling children in C4CD plus session, a life of a child changes. When a child is enrolled in 1^st session most of children look shy, worried, hesitant to play. Few children never came out from mother lap to play. After few sessions the children develop courage and become friendly and they automatically come forward to playing and talk to others. It shows that C4CD plus is very effective and helpful for child development.