CSO's want payments of village health committees streamlined

A comprehensive legislation that takes into account the payment system of village health unit management committees coupled with training in basic health knowledge will improve the performance of health centres in the country.

Currently unit members are paid on a quarterly basis using part of the money meant for Primary Health Care (PHC).

Also the payments are not uniform. For example at health centre IV level, these are paid sh40,000 per seating, at health centre III are paid sh30,000 while those at health centre II are paid sh10,000 on a quarterly basis.

The observation was made by Moses Mulamba from the Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHUD) while presenting a paper on the status of community health unit management committees at Imperial Royal Hotel on Wednesday.

"The legal framework is there but is not sufficiently giving us what we want and is not addressing critical things. You cannot have members work as volunteers so we need a piece of legislation to address that," Mulumba added.

This was during a dialogue between Members of Parliament on the health committee and the civil society organization organized by the Coalition for Health Promotion and Social Development (HEPS Uganda).

The aim of the meeting is to strengthen the legal framework of Health Unit Management Committees that will improve community participation in health service delivery in Uganda.

Mulumba said this has worked in countries like Brazil, Guatamala, South Africa where members of the team are too empowered that they don't even pass any budget without a component of health aspects.

Dr. Micheal Bukenya, the chair of the health committee in Parliament however said there is no need for new legislation because the policies that take this into account have been around and are working in some areas.

"The most important thing is how to implement what is in the policy, and for purposes of financing as we go to the budget cycle, let's see where we can fit these committees so that they can be considered in the budgeting process," explained Bukenya.

One of the aims of the committees is to monitor drugs from the NMS, taking part in the mobilization of health campaigns like mass immunization, monitor service delivery at the centre among others.

 "You cannot have such a person on voluntary basis to go an extra mile and demand accountability of the drugs when he or she is only paid after three months," he added.

Apart from payments, the units lack the knowledge to interpret some of the medicines they sign for, have no enforcement mechanisms in case of drug thefts, uncooperative heads of the health units among others.

He was backed by Buhanguzi County MP, Daniel Muhiire who said that heads of health centres are not working closely to leaders.

He cited the example in which the district council planned for the construction of a maternity ward in Mubende but the in charge failed to find space for the ward because they were not working tighter with the sub county leaders.

Central youth MP, Margret Babirye Kityo suggested that there should be a minimum training for members before they can join the committees.