5.2.2.1. Primary Health Care Facilities (Health Centres)

District Medical Officers:

• Collecting patient samples to be transported to laboratories.
• Reviewing laboratory results for tests performed.
• Accurately diagnosing patients based on clinical presentations.
• Registering patients in the Electronic Medical Record System (EMRS) based on defined syndromes.
• Collecting data on notifiable and non-notifiable communicable diseases and reporting to their supervisor Senior Medical Officer (SMO) of any suspected or confirmed cases of notifiable diseases, according to notifiable disease guidelines.
• Collecting data on non-communicable diseases (including NCD lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, level of alcohol consumption, weight and physical activity level status) and reporting to their supervisor (SMO).
• Recognizing and reporting adverse events related to medicines or vaccination to relevant personnel (specifically those within the Extended Programme on Immunization (EPI)).
• Reporting or providing accurate and timely information on patients to Medical Officers and other relevant bodies as requested.
• Participating in the Regional Outbreak Team, responsible for outbreak, case investigations, management, follow-up, and control measures. Ensuring that patients and their family members follow surveillance and response interventions during acute public health emergencies.
• Ensuring that a written report is submitted to the Epidemiology Unit following ALL case and outbreak investigations.
• Ensuring that patients and their family members follow surveillance and response interventions during acute public health emergencies.  
   

Public Health Nursing Supervisor (PHNS):

The Public Health Nursing Supervisor is the nurse in charge in each health region. She supervises all the community nurses in the health region and has public health functions in case investigations acting as the lead in the absence of the District Medical Officer.

PHNS who work in Public Health, surveillance prevention & control, including outbreaks have the following roles and responsibilities:

• Communicate immediately to EpiU any suspected acute public health event and start verification and assessment.
• Lead case investigations, contact tracing, isolation, quarantine, follow up and early detection of secondary cases.
• Enforce IPC measures at home and in other settings for cases in isolation and quarantine and implement preventive public health measures with contacts and the wider community. In case of an outbreak, work with the EpiU and Regional Outbreak Team for investigation and control of an outbreak or any other APHE (RRT).
• Lead case investigations under the guidance of EpiU.
• Follow-up in community of CD cases diagnosed at hospitals and provide updates/reports to EpiU at intervals as determined by EpiU.
• Periodic review of syndromic, CD, event-based surveillance (EBS), Sentinel Sites and NCD/MH data and perform basic analysis.
• Acting roles and responsibilities: Role of the District Medical Officer in his/her absence.

Community Health Nurse:

• Immediate notification of any suspected acute public health event to supervisor for onward notification to EpiU.
• Assist with case/outbreak investigations and contact tracing in the absence of the PHNS.
• Entry of Syndromic data into Health Information System.
• Collecting patient samples to aid in the completion of health assessments, to be transported to laboratories.
• Reviewing of laboratory results for tests performed.
• Collecting data on notifiable and non-notifiable communicable diseases and notifying the immediate supervisor of any suspected or confirmed cases of notifiable diseases.
• Collecting data on non-communicable diseases (including NCD lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, level of alcohol consumption, weight and physical activity level status).
• Collecting perinatal data.
• Implementing surveillance activities at the community level.
• Identifying and reporting health risks and outbreaks within the community.
• Conducting community health education sessions to promote disease prevention and surveillance efforts.
• Collaborating with district medical officers and other healthcare professionals to exchange information and coordinate responses.
• Providing support and guidance to individuals and families regarding public health response in acute public health emergencies or disease outbreaks.

Family Nurse Practitioners:

• Immediate notification of any suspected APHE to supervisor for onward notification to EpiU
• Collecting patient samples to be transported to laboratories.
• Reviewing laboratory results for tests performed. 
• Registering patients in the Electronic Medical Record System (EMRS) based on defined syndromes. 
• Collecting data on notifiable and non-notifiable communicable diseases and immediately notifying their supervisor Senior Medical Officer (SMO) of any suspected or confirmed cases of notifiable diseases, according to notifiable disease guidelines.
• Collecting data on non-communicable diseases (including NCD lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, level of alcohol consumption, weight and physical activity level status).
• Collecting perinatal data.
• Reporting of any health anomalies found in patients to physician.
• Participating in outbreak investigations and control measures as per guidance from district medical officers.
• Providing education and counseling to individuals and families regarding disease prevention and surveillance efforts.
• Collaborating with other healthcare professionals to ensure accurate and timely reporting of infectious diseases.
   

The family nurse practitioner can also play the role of the District Medical Officer in his/her absence.

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Nurses/ Nurses:

• Serves as the liaison between the EpiU and their respective facility and community for the management and control of communicable diseases and/or acute public health event.
• Collecting patient samples to be transported to laboratories.
• Reviewing of laboratory results for tests performed.
• Collecting data on notifiable communicable diseases and notifying EpiU of any reportable diseases in a manner.
• Collating data on notifiable communicable diseases and analyzing trends.
• Collaborate with other healthcare workers, to provide specialist knowledge and expert advice on types of infections identified in patients and how the infections should be treated.
• Monitoring of staff infection related to treatment of patients and developing measures to control these.
• Monitoring and alerting of any suspected severe respiratory infections (SARI) cases.
• Conducting outbreak investigations
• Implementing and overseeing infection control measures
• Monitoring compliance of HCW with IPC protocols
• Educating both healthcare workers and patients on how infection prevention and control and the importance of it.
• Assist in implementing and enforcing infection prevention and control measures.
• Assist in the training of healthcare staff (including the development of material needed for training sessions)
• Assist in the coordination of response strategies during outbreaks.