Our first line of defence against preventable ailments are Community Health Volunteers (CHVs).
In a bid to empower and equip them, Hon. Dr. Wilber Khasilwa Ottichilo has today distributed branded t-shirts, jackets, name tags, bags, gumboots and umbrellas to more than 300 CHVs from Hamisi Sub County.
Speaking in Shamakhokho ward, Hamisi Sub County where he also officially opened Shamakhokho Dispensary, Dr. Ottichilo said his administration will make sure the dispensary is fully equipped and upgraded to a health center to enable residents get additional services.
According to the Governor, his administration has worked on a policy that will see CHVs absorbed into the County government workforce on better terms.
He also thanked the Community Health Volunteers for their selflessness and promised to provide more equipment to improve their working conditions.
Health Services Chief Officer Dr. Mary Anyienda on her part promised for more advanced training to the CHVs, stating that they will also be provided with smartphones to ease their operations.
To strengthen primary healthcare, Vihiga is fully covered with 1445 CHVs who have been trained to handle different cases at grassroots level and are on a monthly stipend to motivate them for the role they play in public healthcare.