SERVICES PROVIDED BY RURAL HEALTH UNITS

A. Maternal and child health work

(a) Prenatal care activities:

1. Comprehensive examination of new patients.

2. Follow-up examination of patients.
3. Urine analysis (sugar and albumin, microscopic examination).
4. Taking blood samples and determination of haemoglobin level.
5. Weighing of pregnant women.
6. Measurement of blood pressure.
7. Prescription of treatment.
8. Referral of patients to hospitals.
9. Giving subcutaneous, intramuscular and intravenous injections.
10. Supervision of cleanliness of pregnant women.
11. Carrying out health education activities.
12. Home visiting for non-attenders and during the ninth month.

(b) Natal care activities:

1. Preparation of delivery bags.

2. Conducting normal deliveries at home.
3. Conducting abnormal labour, and transfer to hospital where necessary.
4. Giving intramuscular and intravenous injections.

(c) Postnatal care activities:

1. Home visiting for puerperal cases.

2. Detection and treatment of fever.
3. Giving subcutaneous, intramuscular and intravenous injections.
4. Carrying out health education and family planning activities.

(d) Child care activities:

1. Weighing of children.
2. Supervision of child cleanliness.
3. Vaccination against diphtheria, tuberculosis, etc.
4. Taking temperature.
5. Carrying out medical examination.
6. Prescribing treatment.
7. Referral of patients to hospitals.
8. Isolation of communicable disease cases.
9. Giving subcutaneous, intramuscular and intravenous injections.
10. Taking blood samples.
11. Circumcision of male children.
12. Prescribing the diet.
13. Home visiting for non-attenders.

(e) Miscellaneous technical activities:

1. Preparing the clinic.

2. Sterilization of instruments and supplies.
3. Training of midwives and assistant midwives.
4. Preparation of drugs for distribution.

B. Communicable disease control work

(a) Activities related to cases:

1. Isolation of cases.
2. Disinfection of cases (during and after treatment).
2. Dusting of cases (for disinfestation).
4. Giving instructions at home (education).
5. Supervision of domiciliary treatment of tuberculosis patients.
 6. Recording in communicable disease register.
7. Search for the source of infection.

(b) Activities related to contacts: 

1. Surveillance of contacts.
2. Immunization of contacts.

(c) General preventive activities:

1. Vaccination against poliomyelitis, diphtheria and tuberculosis.

2. Noting names of non-attenders.
3. Preparation of list of families.
4. Carrying out periodic dusting.
5. Recording in disinfection and dusting registers.
6. Controlling insects and rodents.
7. Carrying out epidemiological surveys for case-finding.
8. Isolation of detected cases.

(d) Activities related to deaths:

1. Receiving notifications of deaths and search for relations.

2. Examination of the dead and establishment of death certificates.
3. Recording in the appropriate registers.
4. Issuing of burial permits.

C. Vital and health statistics work

1. Recording of births and deaths in the appropriate registers.

2. Making weekly and monthly reports.
3. Calculation of death rates, etc.
4. Making statistical studies and interpretations.

D. Environmental sanitation work

1. Numbering of houses and population census.

2. Mapping areas and facilities.
3. Ensuring cleanliness in and around dwellings.
4. Hygienic disposal of refuse.
5. Constructing latrines in village houses.
6. Control of bilharzial snails.
7. Identification of breeding places of mosquitos.
8. Mapping breeding places of mosquitos.
9. Checking hygiene of public latrines.
10. Carrying out measures ordered by doctor.
11. Supervision of environmental sanitation activities.
12. Examination of food in public places.
13. Taking samples from food.
14. Destroying spoiled food.
15. Surveillance of market and street vendors.
16. Taking water samples from public standpipes.
17. Enforcement of laws concerning cemeteries.
18. Examination and certification of food handlers.
19. Carrying out health education activities.

E. Medical care work

(a) Diagnosis activities:

1. Preparing the patient.

2. Taking the history.
3. Recording clinical observations.
4. Weighing the patient.
5. Taking the temperature.
6. Counting the respiration.
7. Counting the pulse.
 8. Measurement of blood pressure.
9. Clinical examination.
10. Requesting laboratory tests.
11. Taking blood samples and administering transfusions.
12. Microscopic examination of blood and blood grouping.
13. Urine examination for parasites, chemical analysis and microscopic
examination of urine.
14 Requesting X-ray examination.
15. Examination of stools.

(b) Therapeutic activities:

1. Prescribing treatment and/or diet.

2. Giving subcutaneous, intramuscular and intravenous injections and drips.
3. Giving oral medication.
4. Applying artificial respiration.
5. Catheterization.
6. Application of hot or cold compresses.
7. Administration of enemas and use of stomach pump.
8. Suction of mucus.
9. Making dressings.
10. Eye painting and irrigation.
11. Making surgical stitches and performing minor operations.
12. Removal of surgical stitches.
13. Carrying out health education and supervising patient's diet.
14. Observing patient's condition.
15. Application of external treatment (ointment).
16. Radiotherapy.
17. Physiotherapy.

F. Administrative work

1. Assignment of jobs and activities.

2. Checking attendance.
3. Giving leave permits.
4. Conducting legal investigations.
5. Management of equipment and supplies.
6. Management of financial matters.
7. Filling in forms.
8. Book-keeping.
9. Correspondence.
10. Preparation of monthly and annual reports.
11. Recording attendance in waiting-room.
12. Supervising housekeeping of the unit.
13. Supervising transportation.