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The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives has described the ongoing strike in the health sector as a necessary action taken to address long-standing issues affecting nursing services in the country.
Chairperson of the association, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) unit, Mrs. Abdul-Azeez Mariam, said that the decision to embark on strike was not taken lightly, stressing that the national body of the association has rarely called for strike in its history.
She explained that Nigerian nurses have long endured poor working conditions and only participated in strikes when aligned with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) or the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).
According to her, their dedication to patient care was why they issued the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum before commencing the industrial action.
Similarly, the secretary of the NANNM UITH unit, Mr. Abiodun Fatukasi, decried the poor welfare of nurses, saying it has severely affected their members.
He lamented that Nigeria falls short of World Health Organization (WHO) standards, which stipulate one nurse to four patients, whereas the current ratio stands at one nurse to about 30 patients.
They appealed to Nigerians to prevail on the Government to urgently address their demands so they could return to work.
A visit by Harmony FM correspondent to the hospital revealed an unusually quiet environment, with activities grounded in several departments, including the emergency unit, consultant clinic, and the General Out-Patient Department (GOPD).
By Muinat Usman
