ToroDev in partnership with Nderema grand Association carries out field exercise to assess the Health Unit Management Committee members that were trained by ToroDev in April 2017.

                     

With support from ToroDev in partnership with SIDA, advocacy forums have been facilitated to go on ground and monitor services in health, education and economic development sectors. In the month of April 2017 ToroDev trained 89 HUMC members from 15 health centres in their roles and responsibilities in the district of Kyegegwa. The HUMC members were linked to the members of advocacy forums operating in the same district to network and work together to advocate for better services.

After the training of HUMC members action points were set including HUMC to improve their planning, budgeting and monitoring roles, to hold and attend quarterly meetings, to bridge the gap between the community and the health facility, to work with the In-charges to develop work plans and monitor day to day operations of the facility among others. To follow up these action points Nderema grand association was facilitated in the month of June 2017 to move on ground and interact with In-charges of sampled HCs who were part of the training.

Members of Nderema Grand Association interacting with a Health official during the assessment exercise 

“The key objective of this field exercise was to interact with in charges of different HCs to assess if there is any change since the members of HUMCs were trained in April and follow up the action points members suggested to do after the training. “Through this 7 HUMC members were  reached including  Hapuyo H/CIII, Kakabara H/CIII, Kigambo H/CIII, Kazinga H/CIII, Karwenyi H/CIII, Kasule H/CIII  Wekomiire H/CIII   beginning from 29/5/2017, 30^th/05/2017 31^st/05/2017, 16/6/2017 and 14/6/2017” Said . Nduhura Phenehans Coordinator Nderema Grand Association.

“As an in-charge I am happy that since the training of HUMC members things are done better especially the planning and monitoring roles.  HCMC members were trained in how to execute their roles and responsibilities in April and since then members have been coming frequently to monitor the health facility and supervise the drugs delivery, they come over to interact with the patients and staff and monitor different projects going on. This used not to be a case before the training, where members never had any interest in coming to do their supervisory role; I give the credit to the training.” Said the In-charge Kakabara H/CIII during the meeting with. Nduhura Phenehans the coordinator of Nderema forum in Kyegegwa district.

The coordinator Nderema Grand Association Mr. Nduhura receiving feedback from the In-charge of Wekomire HC III during their field exercise

“There is an improvement in the way the quarterly meetings are conducted now and before HUMC members were trained. The last meeting we conducted before the training in December 2016 the In-charge was the one chairing the meeting but since the orientation the meeting held in May 2017 was chaired by the chairperson and it was participatory and not controlled by one person like how the case used to be before the training.” Said HUMC member of Kazinga H/CIII,

“We are happy that we now use ICT tools and we access information online, information on budget release, Health policy etc HUMC members  are now doing their monitoring role very well we receive members 3-4 times a month compared to 1 time before the training and   participation in the quarterly meetings is excellent”. Said   the In charge of Kazinga H/C III.

 “Since the training took place HUMC members have got better ideas in lobbying and advocating for better services from different stakeholders and Am proud that members have been advocating for community support of the HC through making announcements in churches and through VHTs this used not to be the case before the orientation”. Said the In charge Wekomiire HCIII

The In charge of Wekomiire HCIII added, members are now very organized, minutes of the previous meetings are well typed and shared before the next meeting, there is a sense of seriousness because members have understood their roles in planning during meetings. Am sure our next meeting scheduled for 15^th/June/2017 about 90% of members will attend compared to other meetings held before the training where 35% would attend.

A member of HUMC filling the feedback guide questionnaire at Kakabara HC 111 to assess impact of ToroDev's HUMC training in Kyegegwa district

“The  last meeting was held on 20/5/2017 and the attendance was 95 % compared to other meetings before the training where the attendance was about 45%, we now see members are willing to serve and we credit all these changes to the training because from the training, they know their roles and responsibilities better than before”. Said the In-Charge Kasule H/CIII 

“I have seen a change already since  the training took place in Kyegegwa district,  for example now HUMC members are actively coming on ground to  monitor  health facilities   2-3 times in a month compared to one or none before the training to me this is a change already, more still  when a  quarterly  meeting was  held in April, 85% attended compared to 40% before the training, the training is yielding positive results and more are yet to happen”. Said Sakaya Catherine the In-Charge Karwenyi HCIII, during the meeting with. Nduhura Phenehans the coordinator of Nderema forum Kyegegwa district.

“As HUMC members we  realized that some staff are not active and have weaknesses of coming to work late, they are lazy and we decided to report this to the health official, further  investigations were done and these Staff  are to be transferred to other HCs and  be replaced with new ones.” Said the In-charge of Kakabara HCIII.

However the following challenges are still hindering the HUMC members from executing their roles well; limited facilitation as a refund for the HUMC members since they come from far and limited powers to make decisions by HUMC members especially in Kakabara HCIII.

Nderema grand association suggested that the government should revise the facilitation of the HUMC members as they also continue monitoring health centers and do their monitoring & supervisory roles effectively in day to day running of health centers and overall health service delivery system in Kyegegwa district.

As ToroDev we are grateful to SIDA, NED, DRT, CIPESA, SPIDER, and ICT4DEM for their financial and technical support