Tepa, (Ash), Jan 9, GNA - About 450 members of Community-Based Surveillance (CBS) groups and Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) at Tepa in the Ahafo-Ano North district of Ashanti, have attended a meeting to assess their performance for 2004.

The meeting, which was organised by the district directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), was also used to reward about 60 TBAs and CBS for their immense contribution to health care delivery in the communities.

They were presented with cooking utensils and Wellington boots. Speaking at the meeting, Mr Akwasi Adu Poku, the Ahafo-Ano North District Chief Executive, commended the volunteers and the traditional birth attendants for their commitment to helping the people in the rural communities in their health needs.

In a speech read on his behalf, he said the work of the two groups was in line with government's policy of bringing health delivery to the doorstep of the people.

The DCE said the district assembly would therefore continue to support the GHS in the areas of National Immunisation Programme, the malaria awareness programme and the Buruli Ulcer outreach education programme.

Mr Adu-Poku appealed to the public to embrace the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) by paying their premium for them to receive affordable quality health care.

Mrs Elizabeth Adentwi, the District Director of Health Services, asked the TBAs and CBS to always refer cases beyond their control to the nearest hospital before it were too late.

Nana Adu Bobie, the District Disease Control Officer, asked the CBS to report any boil they would find on the body of people to the hospital for immediate treatment to reduce the high rate of Buruli Ulcer cases in the district.