• Provides more explanation, says over 42,000 left Nigeria last 3yrs
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has insisted it won’t withdraw the circular on new guidelines for verification of nurses’ certificates and other rules of engagements with the nurses, as recently released by the council.
The explanation was, perhaps, in response to some ‘pockets’ of peaceful protests by aggrieved nurses in some states, including Lagos and Abuja, who were demanding an immediate withdrawal of a circular recently released by the NMCN notifying the nurses of new guidelines for verification of nurses’ certificates and other issues.
The aggrieved nurses said the new verification guidelines are ‘choking’ and unacceptable to them, hence they demanded it should be withdrawn immediately.
Council Registrar, Faruk Abubakar, who appeared on Channels TV morning programme, Morning Brief, yesterday, insisted the new policies have come to stay, and the aim was to checkmate the illegal activities of nurses particularly those that might have chosen to travel abroad to practice.
He further explained that the new circular was also developed in response to the growing challenges and complaints being received by the council from employers on the unprofessional attitudes of nurses, some of whom display some level of unprofessionalism on their jobs.
He said: “These nurses should know that the intention was not to witch-hunt them or slow their career growth. Rather, it was designed to promote and strengthen professionalism in the noble profession and also protect the profession from quacks.
“We have received several complaints from health facilities about the activities of the nurses. Some of the these nurses abscond from duty for days and even weeks, only for you to hear they have left the country for professional practice abroad with no proper resignation notification. That is unprofessional. Note that we are not against foreign practice but it is expected that it be done formally and rightly.
“For instance, in the last three years, over 42,000 nurses have left Nigeria for foreign practice. Last year alone, over 15,000 nurses left Nigeria to practice abroad. These are manpower that were trained in Nigeria but they choose to work outside Nigeria for whatever reason, which they are at liberty to do. It is a plus for our reputation and our economy, but our people back home also need their services. But one thing is certain, they must leave the country and the local practice the right way and not what is obtained now.
“The countries they are struggling to go have their own guidelines which everyone must abide by before such person is allowed to practice/handle patients.”
On issues of welfare and working conditions, Faruk insisted such are the responsibilities of the Federal Ministry of Health, confirming that the Minister, Muhammad Pate, and other management of the ministry are working to improve the renumeration and working conditions of the nurses.
“It is also the duty of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) being a trade union representing nurses and midwives in Nigeria, to strengthen the push for better working conditions, and sustain the momentum until the desired goal is achieved. Just recently, they met with the minister of health and the management of the ministry where these issues were highlighted and discussed extensively. Some promises were made and commitments secured from the ministry on way of the issues.”
Meanwhile, NANNM Chairman, Lagos chapter, Christiana Adeboboye, who also appeared in the Channels TV morning programme, Morning Brief, yesterday, insisted the nurses would reject the decision of the council because it is harsh and a deliberate attempt to cripple the career path of the nurses.
She told the council that nurses are leaving for foreign practice because of several inadequacies in Nigeria, in addition to poor renumeration and working conditions.
“Rather than this harsh decision, the council should find out why nurses are leaving the country for professional practice abroad and solve the challenges.”
“Nurses are overworked because of the increasing manpower shortage in the health facilities. We have suggested more nurses are trained, and this they can do by accrediting more universities and other training institutions to produce more manpower.”
She appealed to the council to heed to the demands of the aggrieved nurses, and withdraw the circular, make some adjustments considering the interest and input of the nurses.
