Albertina Nakale

Festus Hamalwa

The ministry of health’s decision this week to recall all Covid-19 volunteers, whose contracts were terminated on 31 October 2022, was greeted with joy by volunteers although the ministry remains mum on the reasons for the U-turn.

In a memo issued by the health executive director Ben Nangombe on Tuesday, the ministry informed all regional health directors, medical superintendents, state hospitals, human resource practitioners and heads of Covid-19 response pillars on the urgent recall of all Covid-19 volunteers.

“The memorandum serves to inform you to recall all Covid-19 volunteers whose services were terminated on 31 October 2022. All the Covid-19 volunteers whose services were terminated should be allowed to come and assume duty with immediate effect. Kindly inform the volunteers who rendered services in your respective hospital or regions and health facilities,” the memo reads.

Martha Hamukoto, a Covild-19 health worker at Grootfontein State Hospital said she was upset when the ministry terminated their contracts in October.

“I had stuff on account at Lewis store. I did not know what to do since my contract was terminated. Therefore, I am happy that the ministry called us to go back to work,” she said.

Hamukoto added her two children and her siblings depend on her.

Another Covid-19 volunteer Natangwe Daniel, who was a health worker at Oshakati, said he has no choice even though they worked under pressure and also face the risk of getting the virus.

“We are not safe when we are working with Covid-19 patients. However, I am willing to go back to work since I am still unemployed,” he said.

Anna Simon, who has been a Covid-19 volunteer since April 2020, said the ministry should make them permanent because they have been working hard.

“The ministry should consider us as human beings. We did a lot of good work when Covid-19 was worse in 2020 and 2021,” she said.

The volunteers are said to receive N$6 800 per month.

For October, according to the minister of health, no Covid-19 hospitalisations or deaths were recorded in Namibia. In August, the country removed all Covid-19-related restrictions instituted in early 2020. The pandemic killed over 4 080 people in Namibia.

Nangombe was not available for comment yesterday as to what changed after he directed the termination of the contracts in October. 

Before the termination of the contracts, the ministry communicated in a letter dated 19 May 2022 on the extension of contracts until 31 December 2022.