We’re Ready to Fight for Our Right – Nurses Threatens Strike

…decry Poor welfare Service and adequate manpower resource

Uwem Ekoh, Uyo.

It seems the nurses in Akwa Ibom State can no longer have it anymore following the abysmal treatment from government.

The essential service providers poured out their heart when they briefed newsmen in Uyo on the plights faced by members in their association.

The nurses under the umbrella of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, (NANNM ), Akwa Ibom State Council have expressed dismay and sadness over what they described as lack of government care and proper attention to nurses welfare.

The Association complained of the inability of the state government to proffer solutions to several problems bothering on the welfare of nurses.

Speaking with our reporter recently in the NANNM headquarters, Uyo, the State Chairman of NANNM, Comrade Emem David said the government of Mr Udom Emmanuel has not taken care of the welfare of nurses in the state, adding that government insensitiveness on the plights of nurses has affected their outputs.

He enumerated the problems facing them to include, shortage of nursing personnel in Akwa Ibom State workforce.

According to him, the negative impact was associated with massive retirement, death of nurses and exodus of nurses to developed countries for greener pastures and stated that the nursing work force is grossly inadequate.

He added,” we have about 900 nurses in the government employ including those that are going to be retired this year. How will these number serve the people and service these facilities, even when the state government has invested in revamping the medical facilities in some parts of the state. If you fix the facilities without workforce you are fixing to fail”.

He also requested for the Implementation of unified scheme of service for all Nurses, recalling that the National Council on Establishment (NCE) in her 39th meeting held at Minna, Niger State on 22nd July, 2016 approved a unified scheme of service for all Nurses with nomenclature Nursing officer with minimum qualification as Nigeria Registered Nurse (NRN) certificate and this is yet to be implemented .

The NANNM Boss maintained that the disbursement of arrears of entitlements and allowances of nurses were other problems of the medical workforce in the state.

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He pleaded for the implementation of Non-payment of arrears of Consolidated- Akwa Ibom Health Salary Structure (CONAKHESS).

He saluted the State government for the payment of the said arrears to the Nurses at the State Hospital Management Board and Ministry of Health and begged that the same gesture should be accorded those in the local government areas.

He said, ” we want the state government to pay us outstanding leave grant, arrears of promotion of Nurses in the local government areas which dates back to 2012, Rural Posting Allowance (RPA), Specialty Areas in Nursing/Call Duty Allowance and the Teaching/Research Allowance for Nurse Educators and Clinical Instructors”.

” We want correct computation of CONHESS arrears for retired nurses at hospitals management Board, Payment of gratuity, Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) and the Training and retraining of Nursing staff in Akwa Ibom State”

Comrade David further disclosed that the Association has applied all measures to make government listen to them, and submitted that the union would have no other option than to resort to industrial solution if their demands are not met.

” Very soon we are going to take decision regarding this development if the government will continue to give us deaf ear”,

” We are tired of this, if you complain, they say you are playing opposition, now, we are ready to fight for our rights”, he concludes.