The Bauchi Community Volunteers and Temporary Health Workers Union has appealed to the state government to support its members to provide effective healthcare service delivery.
The Chairman of the union, Mr Yusuf Fada, made the call during a visit to the correspondents chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bauchi State council, on Saturday.
He said members were faced with challenges, including lack of incentives and means of transportation, which is affecting their performance at the community level.
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Fada said members of the union included all cadres of healthcare workers with the exception of medical doctors.
He noted that some had been rendering voluntary health services in remote areas for over 17 years with no government support or recognition.
The chairman lamented that instead of government to consider their members for employment anytime the opportunity availed, they preferred to employ fresh graduates or favoured candidates at the expense of their members.
According to him, they are at the Chapel Secretariat to seek support in the area of publicity so that governments, NGOs as well as private organisations will be aware of their contribution to healthcare delivery.
“We know the importance of publicity, we can’t do without you, our union was established in November 2020 with a view to tackling some of our challenges,” Fada said.
The chairman said the volunteers lacked the financial capacity to sponsor publicity, adding that this informed their decision to seek the support of journalists in championing their plights.
“In providing non-monetary incentives, recognition and logistics to enhance our performance as community health volunteers.
“Also motivate them to continue to provide health services to their own people at the community level,” he said.
Responding, Malam Ahmad Mohammed, the Chairman of the chapel, pledged his members support to the union.
He commended them for carrying out such humanitarian services free of charge and urged them not to be deterred by the neglect so far “as Allah will one day reward you”.
“In the area of collaboration, our doors are open, especially for people like you, even this year we have a plan to expand our coverage to grassroot areas, so to me you have come on time,” he said.
He assured the volunteers that their visit and activities would feature in the subsequent magazine of the chapel, ‘the Correspondents Watch’. (NAN)
