May 3 marked the closing of Module II “Citizen Participation and Citizen Vigilance in Health Services” of the Citizen School for the Right to Health, with sessions 1 and 2. This space for exchange between the participants and the CEGSS technical team allowed a reflection on the transforming power of citizen participation in the improvement of health services at all levels of care.
The active participation of the attendees, who shared their knowledge and experiences, reflected a deep understanding of the importance of their role in health-related decision making in their communities.
During the event, the “word cloud” dynamic was used to identify the key characteristics of citizen participation. Among the participants“ comments, reflections such as those of Antonia Tum stood out: ”It is the exchange or sharing of ideas or opinions within the meeting or group“. In addition, Elena shared her experience: ”I am replicating the topics with 10 other women, through Comusan I was invited. I don't have a degree, but all the information is staying in my head and is serving my family".
Citizen health surveillance
In the second part of the session, the topic of citizen vigilance was discussed, a way of exercising citizen participation in observing the quality of the health services provided.
Participants shared their views on the subject. Olivia Juracán described citizen vigilance as “keeping an eye on health workers and how they serve our community”. She shared a personal experience visiting a health center in her municipality last week. She emphasized the importance of having knowledge of laws and articles to be able to advocate for better service.
Antonia Tambriz pointed out that the institutions that can be monitored include health posts, centers and hospitals, with the objective of guaranteeing adequate care for people of all ages and ensuring the availability of necessary medicines.
From Kimberly Cuá's perspective, the monitoring of public educational centers, health posts and municipalities is essential to evaluate their performance.
Finally, Flory emphasized that the ultimate goal of citizen oversight is to ensure good care for the population, respecting and enforcing the right to health for all. These reflections highlight the importance and vital purpose of citizen oversight in improving public services.