Within the framework of the programme “Promoting the holistic development of children through training in positive parenting skills in five provinces and cities of Vietnam” (EM-THRIVE [1]), the Research and Training Centre for Community Development (RTCCD) coordinated with the Tuyen Quang Department of Health to organize a training course for 22 provincial trainers, who are staff of the Department of Health, obstetrics/pediatrics doctors of the provincial hospital, the Center for Disease Control, and hospitals/Regional Health Centers.
Dr. Do Thi My – Deputy Director of the Department attended and opened the training course. The Department of Health assessed that child health care is the result of the totality of social relationships. The programme’s intervention for the holistic development of children aligns with Government Resolution 72/NQ/TW, focusing on prevention and primary health care development, providing proactive services to families. The Tuyen Quang Department of Health coordinated from the planning stage, selected locations for filming among ethnic people, and piloted among ethnic minority communities before the training course took place.
[2]
The training course concentrated on teaching skills in the five domains of the World Health Organization’s caregiving and development framework for young children, including: Health, Nutrition, Early Education, Safety and Security, and Responsive Caregiving. Teaching methods included role-playing, guiding health staff groups, and guiding caregivers during Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) sessions or during hospital thematic activities.
[3](Trainees practicing first aid for drowning)
Dr. Sung Mi Giang – from Dong Van General Hospital said that the video contents were very good and meaningful; the translations and Mong voice-overs helped community members and health staff easily discuss the materials.
[4](Guiding first aid for a bleeding wound on the forearm)
[5](Trainees practicing guiding families on first aid for choking due to a foreign object)
[6](Role-playing guiding the husband to read stories to his pregnant wife)
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy – Regional Health Center Yen Minh shared, “The content of the class was very good, the interventions covered many domains, and ready-to-use tools were provided for health staff practice. Along with basic first aid techniques, trainees continuously applied different steps to ensure continuity in the first aid process until the child showed signs of recovery and passed the critical phase.”
Immediately after the training course, the Department of Health arranged two training sessions for Commune Health Workers at 20 Commune Health Stations under the Meo Vac and Quan Ba Regional Health Centers. With advanced teaching skills and experience working with Mong ethnic people, Tuyen Quang Province is confident that programme activities will be implemented effectively, enhancing the skills of caregivers in the future.