CBOs advocates for more women health workers to improve healthcare delivery in Bauchi

By Samuel Luka, Bauchi

Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and Community representatives in Bauchi State have appealed to the government to employ more women health workers that will manage various health facilities to improve health care delivery across the state.

They made the call at the closing ceremony of a 2-day training for 10 Community representatives and CBOs from Giade, Bauchi Alkaleri and Katagum LGAs of the state.

Programme officer with Kairi Women and Youth Development Association (KWAYUDA) in Katagum, Mrs. Khadija Mohammed said there was the need to bridged the existing gap of women health workers in Bauchi state.

“The health facilities need women health workers to provide the women clients with the needed health care service”, she advocated.

The Programme officer maintained that some of the women don’t feel at ease being attended to by male health workers, not only that some of the health facilities don’t have women health workers but needed more of them.

“We need more nurses and midwives in the facilities to support women clients and provide them with health care services,” she said.

Mrs. Khadija noted that women healthcare providers can play an important role in educating the society to recognize their health and nutritional needs.

“Women professionals and empowerment of women at all levels are required for improvement of the health and nutrition structure in the communities,” she further explained.

Also speaking, Mrs Safahatu Ajiya of Isawa community in Giade LGA, explained that the role of women in healthcare delivery were primarily as caretakers and nurturers.

“Women play vital roles as wives, mothers, and nurses, and in their responsibility for children, the sick, the aged, and the disabled,” she said.

Ajiya called on the government to recruit and train more women health workers as well as female teachers for redistribution to facilities in the communities.

In a remark , Mrs Florence Daniel, the programme Manager, Women Voice leadership (WVL) at Fahimta Women and Youth Development Initiative (FAWOYDI) in Bauchi said the training is for the community representatives to know their rights and how to demand for the right.

“We realize that the women pair groups and advocates need more awareness on knowing their basic rights in the society.

“We also educate them on how to demand for their rights and needs from politicians during campaigns and how to follow up the needs,” she said.

Mr Daniel said the human right based approach and Citizens engagement was organized by FAWOYDI with the support of Actionaid Nigeria.