Volunteer Health Workers Seek Government, Media Support in Bauchi
Daily Chronicle
A group of young professionals known as Union of Volunteers and Temporary Health Workers have appealed to governments at all levels to support its members in the discharge of their humanitarian services to communities in Bauchi State
The Chairman of the Union, Comrade Yusuf Aliyu Fada made the appeal when he led other members of the Union on a courtesy visit to the Correspondents’ Chapel Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.
Comrade Aliyu Fada who said members of his union include all cadres of health workers except medical Doctors, noted that some have been rendering voluntary health services in remote areas for over 17 years with no government support or recognition.
He lamented that instead of government to consider members of union for employment any time the opportunity avails itself, fresh persons are always been brought in, thereby neglecting members.
According to him, they were at the Chapel Secretariat to seek for support in the area of publicity so that government, NGOs as well as private organizations will be aware of their contribution to the health sector and see how they can collaborate to help the society.
The Chairman of the Volunteer health workers said his union lack the financial capacity to sponsor publicity, adding that, that was what informed their decision to seek for the support of Journalists to help them give their activities visibility.
Fada disclosed that his members have been carrying out health services in all the nooks and crannies of Bauchi state in order to complement government efforts in its quest to deliver good healthcare services to the citizens.
“Some of us have worked in the remotest area with no portable water, no electricity, no good road and without many other social amenities, serving the people”, He added.
According to him, some of us have family to take care of, we even use to tax ourselves to carry out our activities. We believed we deserve appreciation and recognition from the government despite the fact that we are volunteer and temporary workers”.
Fada who noted that the Union cut across 20 local government areas of the state, said it has over 1,200 members.
On his part, the Media Advisor of the Union Bashir Hassan while corroborating the Chairman of the union, said some of its members are trained CHEWS and JCHEWS and many other fields in healthcare delivery from a government health institutions.
Hassan who is also member of the Correspondents’ chapel, said instead of sitting idle and allow their knowledge get wasted, the members of the Union felt they should offer such humanitarian services to the community.
The media advisor pleaded with Journalists to help the union with publicity in order to bring them to limelight so that when government is employing health workers they should be considered first.
Responding, the Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Malam Ahmad Mohammed, assured the Union of the support of his members.
The Chairman who commended them for carrying out such humanitarian services free of charge, urge them not to be deterred by the neglect they have suffered so far, as Allah will one day reward them.
“You know, sometimes volunteer work only Allah can reward you. You are doing it, you are crying because of hardship, because people are not appreciating you, always have faith in God and remember that God is seeing what you are doing and he is the one who can pay and reward you”, Malam Ahmad said.
The Correspondents’ Chapel Chairman said, “in the area of collaboration, our doors are opened, especially for people like you, even this year we have a plan to expand our coverage to the grassroot areas, so to me you have come on time”.
He assured the Volunteer health workers Union that their visit and activities will feature in the subsequent magazine of the chapel, ‘the Correspondents’ Watch’.
He expressed the belief that by the time members of the Chapel starts reporting the activities of the volunteer health workers, many NGOs will pick interest to partner and support them.