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Amuru VHTs abandon work over smart phones
A VHT leader shows Adjumani residents how to use mosquito nets last year. VHTs in Amuru District have protested after district officials reportedly refused to give them smart phones to aid their work. PHOTO/FILE
A total of 203 Village Health Team (VHT) members in Amuru District have protested after the district administration reportedly refused to give them smart phones to aid their work.
On July 7, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) donated bicycles, umbrellas and 150 smart phones (Samsung Galaxy) to the district to help the VHTs in timely reporting and data collection of diseases like malaria and Covid-19.
The district leadership, however, only handed over the bicycles and umbrellas to the individuals (VHTs) but promised that the smartphones would be given to them in a week’s time.
Daily Monitor has learnt that none of the VHT members have received the phones since then.
A VHT member, who spoke to Daily Monitor anonymously for fear of reprimand, on Sunday said the district leadership distributed the phones among themselves.
Mr Christopher Ocen, a VHT member at Labala Parish, in Pabbo Sub-county, said they could not continue working without the phones.
“We are now conditioned to take pictures and send reports as fast as possible using digital means and that is why the smartphones were planned for us. If they cannot give us the gadgets, it means they don’t value what we do,” Mr Ocen said yesterday.
He added: “We are tired of the issues of lost data, carrying books and papers as well as moving long distances to take the report.”
Mr Goodluck Clovis Okello, the Amuru District health educator, said they were engaging the VHTs to continue work as the issue of the phones is sorted out.
“It is true the phones took long to reach them but this should not stop them from working. We are engaging them on solving that. We have also asked them to resume work and plans are already there to recover and handover the phones to them,” Mr Okello said yesterday.
When contacted, Mr Michael Lakony, the Amuru LC5 chairperson, said the allegations were baseless, adding that handing over the phones was delayed because the VHTs needed to learn how to use them first.
“The smartphones are very complicated with a lot of apps. We can’t give the VHTs without training them on how to use the phone like entering data, and taking photos,” Mr Lakony said.
He added: “They have already begun the training and by end of next week all the VHTs will be in position to receive their phones.”
Mr Geoffrey Orsbon Oceng, the Amuru resident district commissioner, asked the VHTs to be patient until all of them are trained.
“They won’t be given the phones unless they are trained. Nobody has taken the phones, so the VHTs should not be spreading wrong information that the district leadership has distributed the phones among themselves,” Mr Oceng said.
