The objective of the Community Health Services is to provide effective and comprehensive services, easily accessable and acceptable to the community, focusing on the aspect pf prevention and health promotion.
The Community Health Services consist of the following:
Primary Health Care Services
Primary Health Care Services are provided through a network of health centers and health clinics throughout the country. The components of primary care consist of Outpatients Services, Maternal and Child Health Services and Flying Medical Services. There are 15 health centers in the country, 10 health clinics, 22 Maternal and Child Health Clinics and 7 travelling clinics.
The Primary Health Care Services provide treatment for minor ailments provide as well as treatment of chronic cases such as diabetes and hypertension that have stabilized in their treatment and has been referred to the health centers for further management. The Maternal and Child Health Services provide antenatal care, postnatal care, child health care, health education, treatment of minor illness, domiciliary midwifery services and home nursing/visit. Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) is incorporated into the Maternal and Child Health Services and School Health Services. Through the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, the country has achieved high immunisation coverage.
The Flying Medical Services provide primary care in remote villages will regular schedules of visits to 6 rural villages.
School Health Services
School Health Services aims to ensure that the best possible level of heath is achieved for the school-going population, enabling them to reach maximum educational potential. It is carried out through general medical examination and screening, immunization, minimum primary care for students, health education and conducting home visits and follow-ups. These services are provided to all government and private schools in the country. In the year 2000, obesity continues to be a health problem among school children and 23% of students are overweight, of which 44.3% are considered closed. The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education are jointly tackling this problem. Obesity Clinic has been set up for school children.
- medical examination of school children
-
immunisation
-
minimum medical care for students
-
health education; and
-
conducting home visits and follow-ups
Psychology Services
The Psychology Services aims to provide comprehensive psychological services in the community for children age 17 and below who are at risk of a having at risk of or having developmental delay, developmentally disabled, poor progress in school, showing emotional and behavioural problems or children who have been physically, sexually and emotionally abused. In the year 2000, 52% of cases were seen due to speech and developmental delay, followed by learning difficulty and poor progress in school (43%), and others were due to having medical conditions and behavioural problem. The largest age group seen was the pre-school children (23%).
Community Nutrition Unit
The key objectives of Community Nutrition Unit are; to improve the nutritional status of the population through comprehensive and collaborative nutrition education programmes through the promotion of healthier, balanced, acceptable and affordable food intake, and to support and create efforts in containing the rising of health care costs through the reduction and prevention of nutritionally related diseases in the country. The Community Nutrition nit provides services for the out-patient services, maternal and child health services and school health services. Two major national nutritional Status of Children Under 5 and Pregnant women (1995) and National Nutritional Status Survey (1997).
District Health Services
The District Health Services function under Senior Medical Officer of Health / Medical Officer of Health of the districts. Health Services in the districts provide various communities, environmental and primary health care at district level.
Community Nursing Services
The Community Nursing Services plays an important role in the effective and efficient implementation of the community health services / programs throughout the country. The community health nurses are well trained and refresher courses are being conducted regularly by the community Nursing Services ensuring that continuing professional development is maintained for all the nursing staff in the community.
