LHW Systems Review - Oxford Policy Management

LHWP – Systems Review5.3.2 Provision of trainingTraining for LHW The LHW receives core training over a 15-month period which is thenreinforced and extended through continuing training at her health facility and throughrefresher trainings:• Core training LHWs are provided training from the facility (FLCF) where they wererecruited. LHSs receive training at the district from the DPIU. New recruits, bothLHWs and LHSs, are provided with ‘integrated’ classroom training before beginningwork in the field using the LHWP curriculum and training manuals. Integrated trainingfor the LHW lasts for three months and takes place five days a week at the FLCF.The LHW then begins ‘task-based’ training, when she has three weeks’ work in hercommunity, followed by one week’s classroom training each month for 12 months.The training is job-specific, focused on carrying out instructions and proceduresrelated to LHW work;• Ongoing training All LHWs attend a monthly educational session at their healthfacility; and• Refresher training The PC-1 specifies 15 days’ refresher training annually.Training for LHSs Prior to 2004, LHS core training was provided in three phases: twomonths spent in the classroom; four months spent training two weeks at the DPIU and twoweeks working in the field; and six months spent training one week at the DPIU and threeweeks working in the field. The current arrangement is three months’ classroom trainingfollowed by nine months’ spent training one week per month at the DPIU and three weeks inthe field. The LHS also attends refresher training and, in some cases, are trained as trainers.Trainer training Master trainers is trained for nine days, followed by three days ofassessment. There are between five and seven Provincial Master Trainers assigned foreach province. Provincial Master Trainers train the district-level Master Trainers who, in turn,train the facility-level trainers.5.3.3 Monitoring and management informationMonitoring3rd Evaluation results In 2000, there appeared to be no shortage of trainers to teach thecore curriculum both to LHWs and LHSs. All LHWs had received their basic training, and 95percent had received at least some additional training. Only one quarter had receivedtraining at their last monthly continued education session, although two thirds reportedhaving received ongoing training at some stage. Training had been provided primarily by themedical doctor in charge, the Lady Health Visitor and the dispenser. The LHSs had alsoreceived their basic training, mainly from medical doctors (male and female) and LadyHealth Visitors. Supervision levels were high, with 96 percent of LHWs having had asupervision meeting with their LHS in the two months prior to the survey.The LHWs were tested on their core curriculum and were found to have a reasonably goodlevel of general clinical knowledge, but there were weaknesses in their knowledge ofvaccination schedules, correct dosage of medicines, ability to read and interpret growthcards, and their knowledge of treatments in terms of presented case studies.Monitoring The monitoring of the training system is conducted internally through theProgramme’s monitoring unit and externally through evaluations.Management InformationTraining session information sheet (TSISs) A record of trainers and participants isproduced for each training session. Hard copies are sent to the PPIU, which enters the dataelectronically and sends it to the FPIU, where it is entered into the Programme database.20