Unemployed health extension workers to demonstrate

WINDHOEK, 06 NOV  – Unemployed health extension workers from a number of regions are planning to march to the Ministry of Health and Social Services in Windhoek on Thursday.

A representative of the health extension workers, Willem Kayongo told Nampa on Monday they are disappointed in the ministry as they have been waiting to be appointed since 2016, when they received their training.

“After we graduated the ministry failed to employ us,” Kayongo said.
Approached for comment, the ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Manga Libita said they cannot employ the 620 trained health extension workers due to budget cuts.

“This information was already shared with the group spokesperson during a meeting with the ministry’s permanent secretary,” she said.

The health extension workers are however insisting that the ministry should make a plan to employ them as they say they have families to care for.

Kayongo, who spoke to Nampa at Zoo Park where some of the group members have started camping in anticipation of the march, said they resigned from their previous jobs because they thought they had secured employment with the ministry.

“Had they informed us that this programme is not important, we would not have resigned. Now we are eating out of dustbins,” he said.

He added that they “no longer want to hear of budget cuts” as they were in the budget when the positions were advertised and they received training.
Kayongo also said some of them are in possession of medication they got during the training, which has now expired.
Libita urged the health extension workers to take the medication to the nearest health facility to be disposed of in the correct manner.
(NAMPA)