From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Aggrieved nurses in Abuja under the umbrella of Nurses Reform Initiative, on Monday, temporary shut down the headquarters of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) located at Life Camp, Abuja, over what they described as unfair treatment from the Council.
The aggrieved Nurses said the protest was to register their discontent and rejection of the recently released revised guidelines for verification of Nurses’ certificates and other rules of engagements for the Nurses.
The Nurses arrived the NMCN headquarters at about 9am bearing placards with several inscriptions, like “don’t clip our wings, let us soar”, “Nurses are essential, let us thrive”, “say no to NMCN new verification rule”, among others.
The protest which was led by a Nurse who pleaded anonymity, said the Nurses are seriously concerned by the recent development, hence the decision to embark on the peaceful protest to register their concerns and demand withdrawal or review of the guidelines.
“This new guideline is choking and should be withdrawn. Similar protests have taken place in some other states of the federation and might continue if something urgent is not done to review the ‘choking’ guidelines
She, however, confirmed that the NMCN Registrar, Dr. Faruk Umar Abubakar, who signed the memo for the review of the certificate verification guidelines was available to received the letter of the protest they presented at the headquarters of the Council in Abuja.
Part of the letter reads: “We, the undersigned, write on behalf of the Nigerian Nurses Reform Initiative, a non-profit organization with the primary objective of protecting the interest and well-being of Nurses in Nigeria, expressing dismay and grave concerns regarding recent developments within the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) and its impact on the nursing profession in our country.
“You will recall that on 7th February, 2024, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria under your leadership issued a revised guidelines for verification of certificate(s) with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN).
“While we commend the efforts made by the NMCN board, including yourself, in instituting reforms aimed at enhancing the nursing profession and improving the overall image of nurses in Nigeria, the said revised guidelines, however, appeared extremely stringent for the nurses.”
NMCN Registrar, Dr. Faruk, who received the letter of protest from the Nurses assured them that necessary actions would taken as soon as possible to resolve identified grey areas as raised by the affected Nurses.
He, however, told the Nurses that the Council was not out to frustrate or witch-hunt them, but was committed to strengthening the nursing profession through periodic review of guidelines for verification of certificates and other engagements.
“You may think the Council is against anyone traveling abroad for professional practice. That’s not correct. Whenever decision we take is for the betterment of our country and its health system. We have no other country but Nigeria.”
He appreciated the formal way the Nurses organised themselves, and assured them that in few days or weeks, they would get response from the Council regarding areas of disagreement.