As the Social Media protest embarked by Health workers under the Expanded Midwives Service Scheme enters day five reactions have been building with many berating personnel at National Health Care Development Agency and Sydani group for owing them over four months salary.
Periscope Nigeria reports that the group had since Monday November 13, at about 10pm embarked on social media protest over four months of unpaid salaries.
Our correspondent reports that EMSS was initiated by World Health Organisation in an effort to curb maternal mortality and infant mortality in the world.
According to reports, Nigeria is the leading country with a number of maternal mortality and infant death, as it’s estimated that every minutes five children die, and the prevalence of maternal mortality is 500 in Nigeria.
Hence, the reason the NPHCDA engaged the SBAs (Skill Birth Attendances), which include doctors, nurses, and community health extension workers . They were engaged to provide services across the nation that would improve the maternal indices in Nigeria.
The eMSS was implemented by the Federal Government through the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency as part of efforts to improve maternal and child health in the country.Sydani Group, however, offers technical support to NPHCDA.
Some of the angry workers who have taken to online protest to state their grievances called out the authorities to settle them, adding that many of them have been battling financial challenges following their family commitments.
“The way you Sydani group leaders, need money for your upkeep, so your employee need in this hard time, have mercy on your fellow human being. Pay them, to enable them to pay transport to work and eat. Thanks for cooperation,” an employee wrote.
Another worker said, “Pay us our salaries.We not slaves, Why inflicting pain on us, After for months without salaries you didn’t see the need to pay us , what are we supposed to feed on? #NPHCDA#sydani and#WHO.”
“@NPHCDA, is not good to engage health workers since July without payment.We the SBAs are seriously working so as to reduce the high rate of Maternal and Child Mortality, now the little right that we have, which is our salary is now a big problem.
“Please @NPHCDA, pay us our 4 months salary bcos the contract that we signed started from July 2023,” another demoralised worker added.
Another worker wrote, “For goodness sake. This salary is not even much but we accepted it to help safe the lives of our innocent mothers and children in our country Nigeria. To pay us the little will agree on is another problem.”
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Maternal and Child Health Intervention Centre Coordinator Zarah Haruna, is yet to reply to calls to her mobile phone.
It’s saddened seeing us going through this hardship and begging what we have worked for.why subjecting us into pains for goodness sake? Pls let the organizers do something about it.
#FG# NPHCDA and sydani group, pay our areas in full,we are saying no to fragmented payment, health workers are not slaves..
Nigeria is even frustrating to people receiving large monthly salary talk more of chicken change you gave to us as salary. We health workers that are risking our lives to work in rural areas not been paid. how are we expected to survive
Imagine the fear people have to even come to Borno, and we are here not even in the capital city but Other LGA’s where to see good food and cook self it’s a case on it own
Tasteless water
Places like gwoza no good network to communicate with you family and love once.
Risked our life to serve humanity passing amidst terrorist to reach your location of work.
And you people have the mind to Hold tight the peanuts change you stated to give us.
National Primary Health Care Development Agency