Zombo VHTS demand streamlining their pay

By Mike Rwothomio

Some village health teams in the Zombo district have called upon Authorities to streamline their payment mode as the yellow fever mass vaccination campaign kicks off. #WhisperEyeNews

Many village health teams say in most cases they suffer from delayed payment after conducting government programmes and they don’t get any feedback making many to lose working morale.

Most Zombo VHTs have become suspicious following last year’s incident,  in which the charge of Zeu Health Center III  facility misused money meant for over 200 VHTs attached to Aka sub-county. The in charge who later paid back the money told Zombo leaders that he used the money for betting and clearing his loans.

Joyce Kayeny, a vht from Omua ward Paidha Town Council at a meeting with officials from the infectious Diseases institute,  expressed concerns over delayed payments asking whether this yellow fever vaccination mass vaccination campaign is going to be any different.

Kayeny said many of them have not been paid for covid_19 vaccination campaign and TB vaccination exercise to date .she adds that they will not sabotage government programs but appeal for prompt payment.

” We are doing our work diligently but this district health department doesn’t recognize our work. We worked from covid_19 vaccination to TB vaccination and no one paid us up to now but we shall do our work as usual. you  need to pay us back for the services we are rendering” Kayeny said

Most village health teams especially those of Paidha town council have not received their funds for the TB vaccination campaign, the COVID-19 vaccination campaign which was done in the previous years according to innocent Otingcwinyu, A vht from Zingili ward Paidha town council.

Otingcwinyu blames all the challenges on poor coordination between the district health department and village health teams at the grass root level.

“Many of us have lost morale but because we are working for our government, we can’t give up . we appeal to them to always pay us on time, at times this official is given money from the  ministry but they sit on it” Otingcwinyu explained

A VHT supervisor for Aka sub county Alex Mananu has expressed that, they work under harsh conditions but their work is barely recognized by local government leaders.

He appeals for more support like gum boots, and umbrellas amongst others to ease their work that involves a lot of movements.

Zombo village health teams have blamed the Zombo district health department over a lack of strategic communication which they say has created an abyss between them and the Ministry of Health.

This year’s yellow fever mass vaccination campaign is being funded by An international organization GAVI,  which is working with the Infectious Diseases Institute and there will be no delay of the VHTs payment according to IDI West Nile subregion supervisor for the exercise Only identified as Alphonse.

Alphonse whilst speaking to hundreds of VHTs from Paidha town council,  charged them to extensively execute their duties giving assurance that,  their pay this time around will be prompt through their mobile money telephone numbers.

The payment for vhts who are participating in the yellow fever mass vaccination campaign
 from 9 -13 of this month is  60k.

Initiated in 2001  by the Health Ministry, VHTs play a pivotal role in coordinating and mobilizing communities for better health services, thus bridging the gap between community and health services.