GREAT BAY:---The HIV/AIDS program is having a two-day workshop for Health Care Providers in the area of HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment. In addition, this training will expand the pool of health professionals that deal with the growing number of HIV/AIDS cases. Currently, two doctors deal mainly with 90% of the HIV/AIDS cases.
The session, according to the HIV/AIDS Program Manager, Suzette Moses, is intended to train other Health Care Providers to deal with HIV/AIDS patients in a more consistent and sustainable manner through a managed Care and Treatment program, geared towards St. Maarten with the input of the local factors regarding St. Maarten situation from health care providers.
Other topics that will be dealt with are access to medication and procurement systems.
Dr. Noreen Jack, based in Trinidad with the Health Care Organization, PAHO, was the facilitator of the workshop, which is over two days. Dr. Jack, a Care and Treatment specialist, will review the current situation on St. Maarten, such as HIV testing and counseling and HIV Care and Treatment, among other topics that will be discussed.
The second half of the day will focus on discussing target setting, models of care, health systems strengthening, capacity building, and patient information systems.
Day two will consist mostly of work-group sessions using the operational plan template, dealing with target setting, models of care, sites and providers, health systems strengthening/Capacity building/standards and guidelines, access to medicines/procurement systems, comprehensive care, patient information systems, monitoring and evaluation, and surveillance.
Each group will present the group’s model and in the end, an amended and comprehensive Care and Treatment plan would have been developed from the ground up, Moses said, one that is workable and that involves everyone.
Present at the meeting were nurses, doctors, sector health care workers, pharmacists, HIV/AIDS program mangers, and other health care providers.