Role of FCHVs in making health services accessible significant: MoHP

 By TRN Online, Kathmandu, Dec.5: Female community health volunteers (FCHVs) have been playing a pivotal role in bridging the gap between public and health service providers by reflecting the concepts and demands of people towards health in health institutions. 

According to Prof. Goma Devi Niroula, Director of the Nursing and Social Security Division under the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), FCHV has been playing a role in enabling health institutions on issues such as maternal health, newborn and child health, reproductive health, family planning, and delivery services, which are still in the infant stage in Nepal. 

Presently, there are a total of 51, 423 female community health volunteers in Nepal, and their efforts to make health services reach each doorstep have been remarkable. 

Director Niroula said that in the fiscal year, 2077/78, community health volunteers distributed a total of 579,834 pills, 7,828, 175 condoms were distributed, 555,777 iron tablets were distributed, and participated in 493, 197 meetings of the mothers' group.

Similarly, FCHVs have supported 58,385 newborns and their mothers, who gave birth in homes, by making them understand the concept of kangaroo care, 47,721 newborns received ointment in navels and 8,613 new mothers received misoprostol tablets by FCHV.  66,455 newborns were able to get breastmilk because of the awareness about its importance by FCHV and 128, 158 women received Vitamin A as well.