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From Desmond Mgboh, Kano, Seye Ojo, Ibadan, Adanna Nnamani, Abuja and Scholastica Hir, Makurdi,
As the seven-day warning strike by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives–Federal Health Institutions Sector (NANNM-FHI) enters into its second day, patients in public hospitals across the country and their family members are gnashing their teeth and agonising.
The action has not only disrupted normal operations at major public health facilities, it has also put the lives of many in danger as the caregivers have turned their backs on patients.
The nurses and midwives have spurned pleas by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, to suspend the industrial action and embrace dialogue.
On July 14, NANNM-FHI issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding urgent reforms to prevent a collapse of healthcare services. With no official response from the government by the deadline, the union announced a seven-day warning strike scheduled to begin yesterday, July 30.
According to the National Chairman, Morakinyo Rilwan, the decision was driven by longstanding neglect, poor working conditions and pressure from members who insisted on taking action after over four decades without industrial action.
The demands include gazetting the revised nursing scheme of service, implementation of the Industrial Act of 2012, upward review of professional allowances for nurses and midwives, employment of more nursing personnel, adequate provision of medical equipment and facilities, establishment of a Nursing Department within the Federal Ministry of Health, and inclusion of nurses in healthcare policy-making bodies and leadership roles.
Others are appointment of nurses as Health Commissioners in states and centralisation of internship placements for graduate nurses, similar to doctors.
The minister, however, implored them to step back from their planned action, stating that strike is not the best solution to industrial disputes.
He urged the association to embrace dialogue while the government continues to work on addressing their concerns.
The meeting will continue on Friday at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Health as the government works out a resolution to the dispute.
Hundreds of in-patients at the National Orthopaedic Hospital (NOH) Dala, Kano, had been discharged. The in-patients, who were sighted departing the foremost national orthopaedic hospital, were encouraged to seek medical help elsewhere following the withdrawal of nursing services at the hospital.
Chairman of NANNM, NOH, Abubakar Mohammed Isa, recognised the pains and challenges faced by the patients but insisted that the union could do little as they were complying with the directive of their national body.
He confirmed that the in-patients, some of whom were from outside the state and the country, had been discharged, adding that it was expected that the remaining patients would leave by today
He affirmed that the management of NOH had been engaging his leadership in a bid to provide skeletal nursing services but added that their meeting with the management produced little outcome.
He, however, said the union might give a special consideration to dialysis patients given the peculiar nature of their ailment.
He urged the Federal Government to urgently address their unmet demands and grievances, stressing that some of the demands had been on the table since the last 20 years.
He said among their demands, is the implementation of a separate salary scheme, adding that a separate salary scheme would take care of the peculiar nature of the job of the nurses and midwives, who represent over 70 percent of the workforce in the hospitals in Nigeria.
A visit to Adeoyo State Hospital, Ring Road, Ibadan, Oyo State, yesterday, showed that many of the wards had no patients on admission at the hospital. It was learnt that the patients were discharged with just a few in critical condition still on the wards, but with no nurses to attend to them.
A relative of one of the patients at the female ward, Mr Adegoke Rahman, said some of the patients in the ward were told to go home due to the nurses’ strike. Rahman said his mother, who was still at the hospital ward, just had an operation on her leg and could not walk or use it to stand. He said doctors were the ones attending to them and no nurse was working at the hospital.
Also, Mr. Samuel Biyi, an outpatient, said he came to the hospital to treat a wound on his leg and was not attended to. He said the leg was seriously hurting him.
One of the doctors on duty said his colleagues and other medical personnel were not on strike and were attending to patients.
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He, however, confirmed that the hospital was not taking patients on admission, but attending to outpatients. The doctor said any patient with critical conditions not admitted were referred to private hospitals for treatment.
He said patients on admission had been told to go home since yesterday because of the nurses’ strike.
Public hospitals in Bayelsa State have also abruptly discharged patients.
Normal operations at major public health facilities in Yenagoa were disrupted as union leaders monitored compliance.
Primary Health Centre in Amarata community remained shut as of 11am yesterday. Locals attributed the closure to the ongoing strike.
At the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Yenagoa, only a few patients were seen wandering around the wards without receiving medical attention.
Some patients said they had been waiting to see doctors since 8am, while others with scheduled appointments were left unattended.
Mr Liberia Progress, chairman of NANNM at FMC Yenagoa, led the enforcement team at the hospital and confirmed that no skeletal services would be available during the strike.
“We have nine key demands. In Nigeria, nurses are discouraged from travelling abroad, yet we are under-appreciated at home in spite of our sacrifices.
“We want the government to meet our demands so we can continue to care for our patients effectively.
“This is a total shutdown. Hospitals have discharged many patients and the wards are largely empty,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr. Amos Ombufa, NANNM National Treasurer for the Federal Health Institution Sector and South-South Zonal Coordinator, confirmed full compliance across federal hospitals in the region.
“If after this seven-day warning strike our demands are not met, we will issue a 21-day ultimatum. If the government still fails to respond, we will proceed on an indefinite strike. Nurses must not relent.”
The Public Relations Officer of FMC Yenagoa, Mr Akpedi Bernard, described the situation as unfortunate. He explained that the hospital, anticipating the strike, had mobilised available doctors and senior nursing staff to offer limited services.
“As the only tertiary federal health facility in Bayelsa, FMC is responsible for more than 70 percent of healthcare services in the state.
“A strike like this has a serious impact. However, we have tried to keep essential services running for critical and emergency cases,” Bernard said.
In Benue, the state chairman of NANNM, Tahav Karshio, said the strike commenced throughout the state.
Kashio, who spoke through his media aide, Moses Mhange, said nurses and midwives in all hospitals across the state had joined the strike in compliance with the national directive.
“Yes, there is a national directive that we should all embark on strike and the strike commenced today.
“All our members at General Hospitals, Benue State University Teaching Hospital, (BSUTH), Federal Medical Centre (FMC) and at all healthcare centres in all the local government areas in the state commenced the strike action.
“We are expecting total compliance across the state as from tomorrow, Thursday,” he said.
Meanwhile our correspondent gathered that the management of BSUTH has pledged with the nurses in the hospital not to join the strike for the sake of patients especially the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). A source from the hospital said most patients are still lying critically ill in the hospital while new patients, especially IDPs are being brought into the hospital for treatment.
