There is disquiet in the health sector, as nurses in the country expressed their discontent with the way the government is handling their issues, urging the government to save the country health sector by doing the needful.
They reasoned that a special remuneration structure for nurses is necessary given the nature of job they carry out as front line workers.
Activities in the Health sector were disrupted when resident doctors went on strike over unpaid enhanced salary. The strike was suspended last week, following the intervention by the National Assembly.
Warning against another distruption of activities in the country’s hospitals and other health facilities, Mr Wale Olatunde, National Chairman of Nigerian Association of Nurse and Midwives-Federal Health institutional sector and Mrs Deborah Yesufu, Chairman of Nigerian Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives FCT council said the government must do the needful by paying all outstnading allowances of nurses and other health professionals to save the sector from imminent collapse.
The duo spoke at ongoing 13th Labour Workshop of National Association of Nurses and Midwives-Federal Health institutional sector in Abuja. The theme of the workshop is “Dialogue a fundamental secret for effective leadership.”
Olatunde said the association was distirbed by the non payment of hazard allowances owed nurses and other health professional. Besides, he said it s high time government take the issue of nurses seriously so as to curb the increasing migration.
He noted that the association views the increased number of nurses leaving the sore of this country as a systemic failiure, which ought to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
He said, “The issue is of great concern to us as the rate at which nurses and health professionals are leaving the shore of this country and the reason is poor welfare package,poor remuneration,so many of our brilliant nurses have left and still leaving to the developed countries such as Canada,United kingdom, European country,United State of America,this because these countries appreciate their good quality, skill and services.
“So we are pleading with the government outstanding remuneration, nurse and other health professionals should be look into as a matter of urgency for example so many allowance approved for government nurse have been stop because government bureaucracy,it will be worst for this country if we begin to import foreigners into our health sector,there will be barrier of language,skill. Therefore the government should do the needful and save this Country health system.”
He also added, “Anything that has to do with allowances, up till today the April-May salaries are still withheld. It has not been paid. Non-Skipping, our people are still without that and it is not as we enjoy it or glad about that but it is only that we know if we take certain measures it will not be good.
“Government,the labour and workers are supposed to work together,they are all serving our people at various levels and we should not allow anybody to be a victim of circumstances.
“The nurse should be explored. For instance, on the issues of the administration of covid 19, vaccine, they nurses should be engaged rightly so that health will actually have a role to play, because it almost falls on the nurses pursuit. The nurses should not be seen as “untill after” we remain the frontline health workers in the issues of Covid-19. The earlier the government looks at our plight the better.”
On her part, Mrs Deborah Yesufu, Chairman of Nigerian Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives FCT council expressed sadness that Covid-19 hazard allowances are not paid as at when due.
She said, “Let me make mention at this particular point in time, the issue of Hazard allowance for Covid-19 that that has not been paid. Honestly, we are not happy because we are still the front of the front liners. We would appreciate it if the government would look into the issue of the covid 19 outstanding allowance. And also now that the hazard allowances are about to be reviewed, we want it to cut across every health care workers, because no life is better than any other person. An all health care workers as far as they are concerned and work in the facilities deserve the right to be given hazard allowance because we want to avoid dispute in Nigeria health care system .
“We want the government to take it that whatever they are going to give me A is going to be the same with B because that is what should cut across every healthcare workers in Nigeria.
“Covid 19 is our issue because it is nurses and midwives that are at the forefront, they stay with the patient all the day and the more they stay the more they are more exposed to the infection and the nurses are the ones given the medication,oral therapy, administering drugs that are been prescribed and due to this most of the nurse have lost their lives.”
