Ministry recruiting public health volunteers

Officials in the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment are looking to train about 500 public health volunteers to aid in eradicating the mosquito population from St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

This proposal was disclosed by Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment Luke Browne at a press conference on Tuesday at the Ministry’s conference room.{{more}}

“One of the things that we have to consider and we have considered it for some time now…is the possibility of us recruiting a group of young volunteers called Public Health Volunteers, to assist us in some of the public health work that we are going to do,” Browne said.

He stated that this plan is a part of his dream to kick-start the rebirth of the renewal of primary health care in SVG, which would in turn help reactivate community health groups.

According to the minister, there is already a developed curriculum and a course in public health education for interested persons.

Browne explained that steps have already been taken in relation to the community and the public and he is of the belief that they have the ability to mobilize the young people.

“And I think we have the ability to mobilize young people to assist with the dissemination of information and brochures and also to see if they could help us with the household inspections, which are such an important part in our surveillance and our integrated vector control and management,” he stated.

It is hoped that the volunteer programme could be up and running by August.(CM)