The federal government has commenced payment of the salary arrears to health workers under the expanded midwives service Scheme.
The development followed the report that the FG through the the national primary health care development agency and sydani group owed doctors, nurses, midwives, and community health extension workers under the scheme four-month salary arrears.
The health workers under the eMSS lamented the untold hardship caused by the non-payment of salaries, coupled with the high cost of living in the country.
eMSS was implemented by the federal government through the national primary healthcare development agency as part of efforts to improve maternal and child health in the country.
Sydani group offers technical support to NPHCDA the executive director and chief executive officer of NPHCDA, Dr. Muyi Aina, confirmed to our correspondent on Thursday that the federal government had begun paying the three-month arrears.
Aina said, “We are aware that the workers have begun to receive payments of outstanding salaries for August and September (for those yet to be paid these months) and October for all workers. Those yet to receive theirs are advised to exercise a little patience and check with their banks as payments are still ongoing.”
He said the process of payment was delayed because of errors either in the account numbers of the Skilled Birth Attendants or a mismatch of their names and account numbers.”
Speaking on Thursday, a CHEW under the scheme in Nasarawa State, Adagu Agu, said some of the health workers had been paid either two months or a month of their salary arrears.
“No CHEW in the country has received any payment. In Nasarawa State, only nine health workers have been paid. In the country, none out of the people paid received 100 per cent of their salary arrears. The health workers in some states like Sokoto, Zamfara, and Bauchi have not been paid at all,” he said
