Doctor Truong Quoc Chien, Head of the Department of Communication and Health Education, Can Tho Center for Disease Control (CDC) said that in Can Tho City, in recent years, the city's health sector has always paid attention to and promoted communication activities in many diverse forms, gradually helping people raise awareness and change behavior in protecting health for themselves, their families and the community.
Every year, CDC Can Tho and hospitals and medical facilities in the city coordinate with mass media agencies, newspapers, and radio stations to open specialized programs on health, health, and lectures... At the district/county, commune/ward levels, the Medical Center and Health Stations also actively coordinate with the communication system to regularly propagate on commune/ward loudspeakers.
Notably, during the peak period of disease prevention and control, especially when the COVID-19 epidemic is complicated and people's demand for health information is increasing, the health sector of Can Tho City has proactively implemented many diverse communication activities, focusing on accurate, transparent and timely information.
large-scale 5K messages, vaccination, health declarations, F0 care at home... are disseminated through many channels: radio, television, social networks, billboards, posters, leaflets to each residential area and household.
Along with that, the mobile health station model - not only provides health services but also performs the task of direct communication in the community.
"Commune and ward health workers and population collaborators will take on the role of "extended arm" of health communication, reaching to blocked-off areas and remote areas to convey information, explain policies, and guide home health care care" - Doctor Chien recalled.
According to Dr. Chien, with that initiative, health education and communication staff at all levels are not only journalists and communicators, but also specialist I, specialist II or master of public health, nurses, technicians, and health workers who are well-trained, have both professional skills and community communication skills.
"In the coming time, when merging provinces/cities, the workload of our team will be greater for large areas, remote areas, and relocation is an issue that needs attention to regimes and policies to encourage the enthusiasm of the communication team" - Doctor Chien added.
