First Mile Community Health Program, a project under the Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine (FoM), Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) trained health Facility Leaders in-charges in leadership and management skills.
The two-day Leadership and Management Continuing Medical Education (CME) was held in Mbarara city at the silverback hotel involving 20 health facility leaders under the theme “improving the quality of community placement experience through partnership in southwestern Uganda”
The training was opened by Dr. Gad Ruzaaza, a senior coordinator for Community-Based Education Research and Service (COBERS) and a community health specialist from FoM who sensitized the gathering about the aspects of COBERS as the pillars onto which MUST was established. He stated that MUST was established in 1989 on the philosophy of community-based education as a way of extending health services to the communities nearby.
‘’Through community-based education, First Mile Health Program was born, which literally means moving with the common people to make their lives better. COBERS involves setting up a participatory community, collaborative environment, and participatory research aiming at transforming society. The concept of Leadership Community Placement (LCP) involves management and leadership practices, service learning which is a student-led project to support health systems,’’ Dr. Ruzaaza described
The package of the training included community entry and diagnosis, mentoring experiences, problem prioritization, evidence-based planning, supervisory roles, public relations and customer care.
Associate Professor Edgar Mulogo, the head of the Department of Community Health and Program Director First Mile Community Health Program, FoM, facilitated the session about evidence-based planning in health care provision. He told the trainees about the role of evidence-based planning within Uganda’s health system and encouraged the health facility managers to incorporate evidence-based planning into their health facilities as it is being recommended by the Ministry of Health.
The health facility leaders were also sensitized about the necessity to acquire modern public relations techniques as a way of extending better services to their customers. The university’s Public Relations Officer, Ms. Angela Nakato advised the facility leaders to brand their health facilities physically and via digital platforms not only to attract more customers but also to be remembered when they leave their current facilities for other stations. She urged them to train their employees in public relations, client satisfaction, cooperate branding and corporate social responsibility to contributing to the well-being of communities and society through various environmental and social measures. “The community members identify with you, call you their own therefore have a different face from the prescription room”. Said Ms Angela
The training was closed by a certificate awarding ceremony to trainees graced by the University Secretary, Mr. Melchior Byaruhanga. While giving the closing remarks, Mr. Byaruhanga expressed gratitude to the program coordinators and the health facility leaders for the partnership between MUST and health facilities in the MUST catchment in Southwestern Uganda.
‘’As a university, we appreciate Prof. Mulogo, Mr. Ntaro, and your team for this initiative to assist the government in training health professionals right from undergraduate levels to Health facility leaders. We are also glad to have health facility managers to accept to be trained, receive our staff and mentor our students who always come to the community for training. We are hopeful that this collaboration will continue to grow and yield much more fruits,’’ Noted. Mr. Melchoir Byaruhanga.
Ms. Biira Yolecy, on behalf of Bugoye Health Centre III in Kasese district credited the team behind First Mile Health program for organizing the CME which has equipped them with management skills, public relations which will be useful in managing the health facilities. In her recommendations to the organizers, she pointed out the need of expanding such training to all health care providers at the health facilities. She also suggested that training sessions should be extended to at least a week to allow more time to learn and interact between the trainers and trainees and enable health facility leaders to gain more expertise.
In attendance, there were facility leaders from Lyantonde hospital, Lwengo HC IV, Kisoro hospital, Bugamba HC IV, Muko HC IV, Rugazi HC IV, Bwindi Community Hospital, Bwizibwera HC IV, Rushere Community hospital, Bugoye HC III, Hamurwa HC IV, Ishongororo HC IV, Ruhoko HC IV, Kabuyanda HC IV, Nyamuyanja HC IV, Rwekubo HC IV, Rukunyu hospital, Kibiito HC IV, Bukuku HC IV, and Kinoni HC IV.