The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has disclosed that 90 per cent of its demands to the Federal Government carry no financial implications.
Mrs Josephine Bassey, Chairman of the Cross River State chapter of NANNM, said this while reacting to the seven-day warning strike embarked upon by the association, which began on Wednesday, July 30.
Speaking to NAN on Thursday in Calabar, Bassey explained that most of the demands revolved around administrative issues such as implementing policy papers and enforcing court judgments.
She added that another key demand was the gazetting of long-standing approvals by the National Council on Establishments.
“Our demands include the gazetting of the nursing scheme of service approved since 2016 and the creation of a Department of Nursing in the Federal Ministry of Health. Another key demand is the centralisation of internship for nursing graduates,” she said.
She added that other demands include the review of provisional allowances for nurses and midwives, as well as the appointment of nurses to the boards of federal and state health institutions. She also stressed the urgent need for the employment of more nurses due to severe staffing shortages.
Bassey noted that compliance with the strike directive was total, with 100 per cent participation recorded on the first day.
“We started as early as 7:30 a.m. to monitor all health facilities across the state to ensure full compliance,” she said.
According to her, any nurse found violating the strike directive would have been forced out of work and sanctioned at the national level.
“Nurses make up about 60 to 65 per cent of the healthcare workforce. If the government truly appreciates the critical role we play in healthcare delivery, it should address our demands promptly,” she stated.
She acknowledged the impact of the strike on patients but urged the public to speak up in support of nurses.
“We feel the pain of the patients, but we also urge them to cry out on our behalf to well-meaning Nigerians and the government, so our concerns can be addressed,” she said.
Bassey added that nurses would immediately return to work once their demands were met.