The Warrap State health ministry on Tuesday concluded the training of 28 health workers in Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) in Warrap Town of Tonj North County.
The participants told Radio Tamazuj that they benefited from the five-day training and it added value to the services they provide to the public in health care centers.
Malek Wol Jiel, a surveillance officer, said it benefited them a lot as it was his first training since being recruited earlier this year.
"What I have learned within the five days is beneficial, I have acquired enough knowledge on Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response (IDSR),” Wol said. “We were given a pre-test and my performance in terms of understanding things was not good compared to my performance in the post-test today (Tuesday) where I got 91 percent. This is the first training I have attended since being appointed so my work is to visit health facilities and report any new disease affecting communities."
Dech Akot Dech, another trainee, said the training helped educate them on how to select patients and investigate diseases.
"The training helped us a lot on how to diagnose and the selection of patients with critical cases. We also learned the importance of case definition and the importance of a patient's geographical location for follow-up,” Akot said. “Cardinal signs are also included in standard case definition which is used in Warrap, Central Equatoria, Lakes, and other states and it helps us to investigate suspected cases like measles and meningitis.”
For his part, John Akol Akol who facilitated the training and is the state’s director of surveillance said the training was organized by the health ministry to capacitate the staff on how to provide quality health services, improve communication, and report of emergency cases.
"What we are doing in Tonj North County is the training of health staff in IDSR. This is very important for it helps staff to manage cases, report, and communicate them to the ministry of health. We have held a similar training in Tonj South County and we will be carrying it out in the rest of the counties," Akol said.