Migori County has set aside Sh28 million as payment for Community Health Volunteers (CHVs).
Speaking during the handover of 150 Buffalo Bicycles to CHVs, Migori County Public Health Officer Mr. Fidel Majiwa said that the CHVs’ services were crucial to the health sector in the county.
He said that the CHVs would start receiving the payment this December as a show of appreciation and a sign of motivation for the health mentors’ work they do at the community level in terms of improving the quality of health services.
The 150 bicycles worth Sh3.4 million were donated by the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) in partnership with the Buffalo Bicycles Company under the World Bicycle Relief Programme.
With the set remuneration and mobility transport challenges addressed, Majiwa encouraged the CHVs to utilise the bicycles well and work harder to counsel their respective publics on issues of early pregnancy, advice on the importance of hospital delivery and encourage HIV and Aids patients’ medication process.
“Our county has started the open door policy to encourage and motivate our staff to deliver quality and efficient services to our people,” noted Majiwa.
Majiwa also encouraged the CHVs residents to work closely with National Government Administrative Organisation in the county to fulfill their mandate of disseminating and propagating important health information at lower levels.
He acknowledged that sharing information, especially on health matters is important because it could save lives as well as improve health institutions.
Catholic Medical Mission Board Official (CMMB) Mr. Hillary Ongeso noted that the donation would go a long way to solving mobility challenges faced by CHVs.
Ongesa pointed out that by solving the CHVs mobility challenges, the peer educators would cover more remote areas and help train the community on issues related to health.
“Through these bicycles, CHVs will be able to trace the health defaulters and ensure their work is done faster and effectively by reaching as many households as possible,” said Ongeso.
World Bicycles Relief Official Mr. Nickson Otieno affirmed that the bicycles would provide a cheap means of transportation to enable CHVs to provide their services in the remotest part of the county.
He said that by solving mobility problems, the CHVs counseling and visiting programmes would be fast tracked to address communal stigmatisation, especially to HIV and AIDs and cancer patients in remote areas
Earlier this month, the World Bicycles Relief in partnership with Ripple Effect NGO donated 100 bicycles worth Sh3 million to Migori Peer Farmer Trainers to address mobility challenges in accessing farmers.
World Bicycle Relief has also donated 200 bicycles to farmers in Bungoma and Busia Counties where the organization is also operating towards promoting health services and small-scale farming.
By Geoffrey Makokha
