By Albert Allotey
Accra, March 29, GNA – A day’s capacity building on the Community Scorecard Action Tracker has been held for leaders of Community Health Management Committees (CHMCs), with a call on them to use the knowledge gained to improve health delivery in catchment areas.
The Community scorecard collects data based on community feedback on quality of care.
The training, organised by the Ghana NCD Alliance (GhNCDA) drew participants from Ga South and the Accra Metropolitan areas.
They were taken through the significance of the CHMCs in the healthcare system and the web-based Action Tracker Accountability and its usage.
Mr Emmanuel Ayrie Adongo, a consultant and facilitator of the training who made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said Ghana has four scorecards namely; RMNCAH (Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health), malaria, community, and nutrition.
He disclosed that currently HIV and TB scorecards are being developed.
Mr Adongo told the participants: “The community scorecard is a tool for you to have access to health data so you will be able to know how the facilities in your communities are doing in terms of health status.”
“This is a tool that has empowered you as key partners in health service delivery and then you could also use the information to engage stakeholders who can help to mobilize resources to solve problems within your catchment areas.
“So that at the end of the day the health status of the people you serve can be improved.”
Mr Godfred Tweneboah, Policy and Research Officer of GhNCDA in a presentation on the Community Led Monitoring initiative said its objectives were to build the capacity of community members.
This includes people living with NCDs in decision-making at the community level to advance efforts towards service delivery and resource allocation.
He said the community scorecard has nine primary quality of care indicators; caring, respectful, and compassionate care, waiting time for service provision, availability of medicines, diagnostics services, and supplies, and availability, accessibility and quality of health services and infrastructure.
The rest were cleanliness and safety of the facility, leadership, and management, conducting home visits by health staff (CHO or CHN or Midwife), conducting home visits by the Community Health Volunteer, and assessment of NHIA services.
GNA