The public health department consists of the nutrition unit, disease control, reproductive/child health, and the anti-retroviral therapy/counselling units. It is the main hub for preventive medicine practice at the hospital.
Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) and Counselling Unit
The ART and Counselling unit is in charge of all activities involving HIV/AIDS prevention, management and general counselling. Also, practitioners on this unit supervise all activities of HIV/AIDS from diagnosis to management in addition to education on prevention and early detection of the disease. Support staff include a pharmacist, physician assistant/nurse practitioner and 2 staff nurses.
Disease Control Unit
Staff on this unit are responsible for surveillance, monitoring and reporting communicable diseases and trending diseases of public health importance. It also supervises activities during national immunization days in addition to distribution of disease preventing items such as insecticide treated nets. Staff are also responsible for providing health education on disease prevention.
Nutrition Unit
Staff on this unit help patients during observed cases of malnutrition. Staff are responsible for counselling and managing malnourished and obese patient in addition to chronic diet related conditions as high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension and acute conditions related to diet such as malaria. It is also responsible for nutrition education and promotion in the hospital, Ankaase community and the surrounding community. The staff are involved in preventive care and the management of every condition related to food and nutrition in the hospital and community setting.
Reproductive and Child Health
The reproductive and child health unit staff are responsible for all activities related to women at fertility age to children under five years of age. The various activities at the department include family planning, growth monitoring, immunization of babies, children and pregnant women, health promotion and health education. Community health nurses working on the unit travel within Ankaase and its sub districts to undertake periodic community outreach programs, vaccinate kids and educate their parents on best child care practices. They also report unusual cases from the local communities and refer to the appropriate department for management.