The Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC) chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has joined the seven-day nationwide strike declared by the Association’s National Headquarters.
Chairman of the association, Lawrence Oyeniyi, who disclosed this in an interview with NAN on Wednesday at the hospital complex in Ile-Ife, stated that the warning strike is aimed at drawing the federal government’s attention to the challenges faced by nurses across the country.
According to him, nurses are frequently sidelined in the healthcare decision-making process, which negatively impacts the quality of service delivery.
He also frowned at the current salary structure and allowances for nurses, describing them as inadequate.
Oyeniyi noted that the last round of nurse recruitment at OAUTHC occurred in 2022, and the current workforce was overstretched.
“Nurses are the largest workforce in the health sector and are always at the forefront, yet our welfare is constantly neglected by the government.
“The workload is overwhelming due to a shortage of staff.
“We appeal to the Federal Government to consider our demands and approve what is due to us,” he said.
Oyeniyi warned that failure by the Federal Government to address their concerns within the seven-day warning strike period could result in an indefinite industrial action.
A patient in the hospital’s Orthopaedic Male Ward, Mr Taiwo Adesanmi, also appealed to the Federal Government to meet the association’s demands, warning that the strike could cause significant hardship to patients if prolonged.