640 health workers still jobless

The health ministry is negotiating with its development partners to assist with the employment of 640 trained community health workers.

This was confirmed by health minister Bernard Haufiku, who called for patience from the jobless workers.

While inaugurating 10 community-based antiretroviral treatment (ART) clinics at Onakamwandi in Oshana on Wednesday, Haufiku said the community health workers are very important.

He said government was committed enough to train them, so they could educate communities about health-related issues and give community members the necessary medication.

Haufiku said the ministry has already employed 1 600 community health workers on a fulltime basis countrywide and was in the process of securing work for the 640 workers who were currently jobless.

These community or village nurses counsel patients on medication use, provide parenthood preparation training for pregnant women, attend to senior citizens and children and perform first aid.

“Unfortunately, after training these 640 community health workers we were hit by budgetary constraints. These people are not employed up to know. We know them and we have not forgotten about them,” Haufiku said.

“We are now in the process of negotiating with our development partners to see if we can employ these community workers. We are begging for their patience for now.”

The ministry started training the 640 community health workers in the Omusati, Ohangwena, Kavango East, Kavango West, //Karas, Omaheke, Oshana and Otjozondjupa regions in September 2016. They completed their training in July last year, but are yet to be deployed.

After graduating last year, the 640 health workers were equipped with first aid kits and were promised they would be placed as soon as possible.

“They are our first line of defence in our health service. They are the most important people to fight health concerns, because they are from the communities and in the communities, explaining and telling every person how to live a healthy lifestyle.

“They also identify those who are sick and make sure they go to health facilities,” Haufiku said.

Last month Namibian Sun reported that Ohangwena governor Usko Nghaamwa was happy that the ministry had deployed 187 community health workers in villages across the region, while 95 are still unemployed.

He also announced the region will place these jobless workers.

In 2016, Okatjali constituency councillor Joseph Mupetami praised the ministry for the initiative.

Mupetami told Namibian Sun at the time that every village in the four northern regions has an assigned community health worker, who provides house-to-house basic healthcare and reports the health status of villagers to the nearest clinic.

ILENI NANDJATO