The Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among has asked government to offer financial support to Village Health Teams (VHTs), and asked relevant Government bodies to take note of the assistance provided by VHTs in enhancing access to healthcare and other important services.
Speaker Among made the remarks while meeting with the VHTs and Local Council representatives from five sub-counties of Bukedea district on Thursday, May 25, 2023.
According to Among, such groups have played a crucial role in bringing health management services to nearby areas, but still struggle with financial issues which makes their work very challenging.
“You play a very important role of mobilizing communities and bridging the gap between communities and health facilities,” she said.
She noted that VHTs have been providing voluntary services for a long time. She therefore promised to make a change to it.
Speaker Among promised to work with the Ministry of Health in this regard and ensure that Village Health Team members are paid appropriately for the work they undertake in overseeing and extending health services to communities.
“I am going to make sure that I bring this matter to the attention of Parliament so that you are well remunerated in order to serve people better and achieve the national community health strategy,” she said.
She also urged members of these teams to pursue careers in agriculture, supported them with hand hoes and gumboots. She promised to give them bicycles at a later time, to help facilitate their movement.
Village Health Teams serve as the first point of contact for various health-related issues. They primarily work in a voluntary capacity. VHTs are ordinary community members who receive basic health care training to provide home visits and health management services.
