Nurses in Benue join nationwide strike

From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi

The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Benue State chapter, has joined their counterparts across the country in the ongoing nationwide strike.

The union embarked on the strike to demand, among other things, improved welfare, fair allowances, and better working conditions.

The state chapter joined the strike following a directive from the national body of the association, which called for full compliance and solidarity across all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Confirming the development to journalists in Makurdi on Wednesday, July 30, the state Chairman of NANNM, Tahav Karshio, said the strike commenced on Wednesday throughout the state.

Karshio, who spoke through his media aide, Nurse Moses Mhange, said nurses and midwives in all hospitals across the state have joined the strike in compliance with the national directive.

He said, “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, July 31,” he said.

Meanwhile, our correspondent gathered that the management of BSUTH has pleaded 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.