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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The management of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Kaduna, has reaffirmed its commitment to saving lives despite the ongoing strike by the local chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).
In a statement signed by the Head of Information and Protocol, Usman Toma Haruna, the hospital management accused the striking nurses of prioritising their welfare over professional ethics. The strike was reportedly triggered by grievances over stagnation and non-promotion of some union members.
Haruna explained that prior to the strike, the Top Management Committee (TMC) met twice with the union leadership to resolve the issues, clarifying that the matter falls under the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Office of the Head of Service, as the hospital currently has no governing board.
“The TMC pleaded with the unionists to shelve the strike action, but our efforts fell on deaf ears,” the statement said.
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The management noted that the Medical Director, Prof. Aishatu Yushau Armiyau, had arranged for nurses to man critical units, including the dialysis centre serving infectious disease patients across Kaduna State and neighbouring states, to prevent a total shutdown of services.
According to the statement, union officials attempted to sabotage these arrangements by threatening nurses who volunteered to continue providing care, but the nurses remained steadfast in attending to patients.
The statement also revealed that the state leadership of NANNM trespassed into the hospital to address a press conference, attempting to disrupt operations.
“While it is the right of NANNM officials to pursue their demands through a strike, it is entirely wrong to threaten nurses who are committed to saving lives. The primary responsibility of any medical professional is to save lives, yet the conduct of NANNM officials has shown that their welfare is more paramount than ethics,” Haruna said.
The management reiterated its willingness to engage in dialogue with the union but stressed that it will not compromise its duty to provide medical care to ordinary Nigerians who have no alternative healthcare facilities.
