We’ll Go on Strike If –Nigerian Nurses And Midwives

A nationwide strike by Nigerian nurses and midwives impends, if the government fails to address a list of demands they have tabled..

This threat is coming from the umbrella association of the professional block, The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM)

The National President of the association, Michael Nnachi, made the veiled threat at a news conference after its meeting with officials of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Abuja on Friday.

He said the federal government needed to address its demands with dispatch if it would not see strike.

Nnachi listed the demands to a re-opening of nurses and midwives certificate verification portal, payment of salaries of all staff of Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

Others are the constitution of the board, creation of special nurses and midwives’ salary structure and immediate review of their peculiar professional allowances.

At the same time, he said they have given the federal government 15 days within which to address the demands as stated during the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in August.

“We also appeal for an NANNM representation at the board level of tertiary health institutions. We appealed for provision of functional equipment at various health facilities, centralisation of internship posting for graduate nurses and employment of nursing personnel,” he said.

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According to president, meeting all the demands would cushion the effects of excruciating socio-economic hardship, as well as reduce brain drain in the nursing sector.

Nnachi also called on the Federal Government to create a full-fledged department of nursing services at the Federal Ministry of Health.

He said that gazetting the nurses and midwives scheme of services as approved in 2016 was also crucial.

He also appealed for consultancy for members of West African Postgraduate College of Nursing and Midwifery and other welfare packages for nurses and midwives.