Agency Intervenes In Non-Payment Of Midwives’ Entitlements

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has intervened in the non-payment of the 11-month entitlements of midwives deployed to Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The midwives working at the Primary Health centres in the area council had not been paid as agreed to in the Memorandum of Understanding.

The Federal Government introduced Midwives Service Scheme (MSS) to stem the high rate of maternal mortality in the country and deployed 2,488 midwives to 654 Primary Health Care facilities nationwide.

Dr.  Mohammed Abdullahi, Director, Primary Health Care System Development, told NAN in Abuja , that the agency had written a letter to the FCT Minister on the issue as well as the Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council.

“We have written and copied the Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council and we made it clear that it is the only council out of the four area councils in the FCT that is not fulfilling its obligation, as we agreed under the MoU that was signed by the Minister of the FCT.

“We believe that this letter will cause an action to be initiated and I believe very soon, the midwives will smile,” Abdullahi said.

He noted that the midwives needed to be encouraged, motivated and provided with incentives.

Mrs Victoria Akinrolabu, Focal Person for the MSS in the FCT, said that the midwives were doing a good job as more women now deliver safely at health centres.

“From their records, it shows that more women are now coming to the primary health centres more than before,” she said.

According to her, the midwives are going through hard times as most of the villagers are not friendly, while the roads are mostly inaccessible.

“The people are not friendly, the road is bad, no water, no light and after all the sacrifices, they will not receive their entitlements,” Akinrolabu said.

One of the midwives who pleaded anonymity, suggested that the Federal Government should mandate defaulting authorities to pay their allowances promptly.