By Abdulmumin Murtala
Poor remunerations to frontline health workers have affected the COVID-19 vaccination exercise in some communities in Gwale and Kumbotso Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Kano State.
In both LGAs, there are 86 vaccination centers with the good intention of reaching out to citizens, but the frontline health workers were not properly mobilized in terms of incentives and remunerations.
In addition to poor mobilization, and irregular payments of allowances to the frontline health workers, there was the issue of insufficient Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like facemasks and hand gloves in most of the health and vaccination centers in Gwale and Kumbotso LGAs.
Investigation revealed that due to poor remunerations, health workers engage in sharp unethical practices to motivate themselves.
For instance, a health worker at the Sheka Health Centre in Kumbotso Maryam Isa complained that when they used up the facemasks they were given, they resorted to buying them with their money to protect themselves.
She said: “At the beginning of the vaccination exercise, we were given facemasks and hand gloves but as time went by, everything finished. No supplies were made; we had to buy PPEs to protect ourselves.”
However, the government through the office of the Chairman of the Rapid Response Committee on COVID-19, Dr. Tijjani Husain, on its side refutes these allegations saying, “We have received a lot of donations from various sources that include among others Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN), the then NNPC, Dangote, BUA who gave up to N2b in support of the fight against the pandemic. The items received were subsequently distributed to the 44 local government areas of the state.”
Reports from Vanguard Newspaper, Daily Trust Newspaper in Nigeria published on its online edition on 29th April 2021 and 27th April 2020, have shown that PPFN donated N12m worth of PPEs, NNPC donated 100 PPEs and an ambulance as part of the N21b oil and gas industry intervention on Covid-19.
Some health workers also complained of inadequate remuneration as their allowances were delayed or completely not paid in the last five months as of the time of compiling this report.
A vaccinator, Muhammad Sani of Gwale Health Centre explained that there are three categories of workers that conducted the vaccination exercise, this includes the recorder, the validator, and the vaccination.
He said: “They told us during our training at the height of the COVID-19 that we would be paid N25,000 daily but up until now, we have not received anything in the last three months.
“Those who got paid received N12,900 thereby being short-changed N12,100.”
A health worker from Kumbotso who begged for anonymity revealed that “there are two hundred health workers in Kumbotso Local Government Area that were told that World Health Organization (WHO) would be paying them N3,000 each, on daily basis but they were not informed how much the state government will pay them.
“Those who were lucky to receive the payments complained of being short-changed, the money cannot even cover our transportation and feeding at work.”Me, I received N2,000 from the WHO for data.”
In a discreet conversation with Alhaji Gali Muhammad, a businessman and a resident of Sheka in Kumbotso LGA who travels to China and Dubai complained that COVID-19 affected his business seriously.
He said he cannot take the COVID-19 vaccination even though he needs the certificate to complete his travel documents.
“I know that I cannot travel without being vaccinated and I will not allow them to vaccinate but I will still get the certificate. I have my connection and it is just a matter of cash.”
He claimed that without being vaccinated, people can get the Covid-19 vaccination certificate if they know their ways.
Aminu Sani, a resident of Mariri in Kumbotso disclosed that the restriction has helped in getting some people to be vaccinated; especially those who want to travel for pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia in particular.
“Many have been forced against their will to get vaccinated but others have exploited the back door and purchased the COVID-19 certificate.
“I couldn’t miss the opportunity to travel to Saudi for pilgrimage that was why I took the vaccination. If I knew of ways to get the documents completed, I would not have allowed myself to be vaccinated.”
Another Hajj pilgrim, Ammani Isa, a resident of Kabuga in Gwale LGA who owns a shop at Kwari Market said: “I paid for everything and got my documents and performed the Hajj without being vaccinated. If you know your ways, it is very easy.”
He didn’t allow his card to be displayed in public due to personal reasons.
Isa’s revelation buttressed the claims of selling COVID-19 vaccination certificates to health workers. The health worker claimed that “we have sold and are still selling the COVID-19 vaccination certificate at the sum of N5,000; we make the necessary documentation and dispose of the vaccine.
“Most of those who buy the certificate are those who want to use it as a travel document for business or pilgrimage.
“We have no choice, we need money to cover our expenses as we are not being paid.”
Reacting, the Head of the Department of Health at Gwale LGA Secretariat, Murtala Bello confirmed that there were claims of the sale of vaccination certificates but the authorities are yet to identify anybody involved and have also taken measures to stop it.
“We have heard that people are buying Covid-19 certificates without being vaccinated, but I do not know of any confirmed case.
“I have to have satisfactory evidence to confirm that the allegation is true. Though I have just been transferred to Gwale as HOD Health, I do not have any incident in that regard.
On the irregular payment of health workers, he confirmed that it is true that they have not been paid but just recently, in January 2023, some of the workers received their payments.
“Also about the issue of payments, indeed, the frontline health workers have not received payments for some time, but recently, they have started receiving their payments.
“Validators have received N19,200 each while Recorders have received N12,800 each for data. But the Vaccinators are yet to receive payment.
“The payments are in scales of 3.0, 2.0, and 1.0 and are made by the state government and the donors. The government pays the 3.0 while the National Healthcare Development Agency and WHO pays the 2.0, and 1.0.
“The Vaccinators who are on 3.0 are the ones waiting to be paid by the state government,” he explained.
The Supervisory Health Counsellor at Gwale LGA, Hajiya Aisha Haruna who corroborated the allegation said: “Yes we have received complaints of health workers selling Covid-19 certificates to people but we are working to trace the clear evidence.
“So far, nobody has come to complain. We are therefore introducing tactics to ensure that only those who are vaccinated get the COVID-19 certification.”
This report was supported by CHRICED’s Project of Strengthening Maternal Healthcare through Accountability Interventions in Kano State.
