Bayelsa: Hospitals discharge patients abruptly over Nurses’ strike

Residents in Bayelsa State were on Wednesday left stranded as public hospitals in the state abruptly discharged patients following the commencement of a seven-day warning strike by nurses across the country, pressing home their demands on issues affecting them.

The strike action, embarked upon by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), disrupted the proper functioning of public hospitals in the state in the early hours of the day, as union leaders were on ground to monitor compliance.

A visit to the Primary Health Centre in the Amarata community, in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, revealed that the usually busy health facility was not open as of 9:00 a.m.—a situation locals attributed to the strike.

At the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), only a few patients were seen roaming around some wards without receiving attention or services.

Some patients said they were still waiting for doctors’ attention after arriving at the hospital as early as 8:00 a.m.

Others, who claimed they had scheduled appointments with doctors on Wednesday, were also seen loitering and waiting for attention.

The Chairman of NANNM at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Mr Liberia Woyengibarafagha Progress, who led the enforcement team at FMC, said there would be no skeletal services while the warning strike lasted.

He said: “We have nine-point demands. In Nigeria, they say nurses should not travel out of the country, and we have been suffering all this while, taking care of our patients and doing our best. At this point, we are asking the government to give us our needs so that we can continue to care for our patients.

“Our demands are: the government should gazette our nursing scheme of service; we are asking for the implementation of the Industrial Act, 2012; an upward review of professional allowances for nurses and midwives; the employment of more nursing personnel; and the adequate provision of health facility equipment.

“Currently, if you look at the hospitals, most times you don’t have equipment. It’s even hard for the government to provide electricity in the hospital environment. We have been suffering to take care of our patients. We are saying no—enough is enough.”

“We are also asking for the creation of a nursing department in the Federal Ministry. The nursing department is not there; everything boils down to one particular department, which I don’t want to mention. But we, the nurses, know that we are the majority in the health sector, and yet we are not being recognised in Nigeria. In other countries, nurses are recognised, but here, we are not.

“We are also asking for the inclusion of nurses in the headship of health policy. What I mean is that, on most of our boards, nurses are not included. We form the heart of the health sector, yet we are not involved. How do we take decisions? It is only in a few states in Nigeria that nurses are ever appointed as Commissioners for Health.

“We are also asking for the centralisation of internship postings for graduate nurses. The Federal Government should take over the posting of internship placements for nurses, as it is done for doctors. We are also demanding the creation of a consultancy cadre for nurses—there should be nurse consultants and nurse practitioners.

“This strike is a total shutdown. There is no plan for skeletal services. This strike involves federal, state, and local government nurses nationwide. Currently, hospitals have discharged many of their patients—we don’t have patients in the wards—so even the patients are suffering now.”

Also speaking, the National Treasurer of NANNM, Federal Health Institution Sector, and South-South Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Amos Ombufa, said that after the seven-day warning strike—in accordance with the Labour Law—the Union will give the Federal Government an additional 21-day ultimatum to meet the nurses’ demands. He stated that if, at the end of the ultimatum, the demands are not met, they would proceed on an indefinite strike.

“I urge nurses not to relent. We should press home our demands. As we speak, all the federal hospitals across the nation are totally shut down—especially in the South-South zone, where I’m in charge. There is total compliance. There is no provision for skeletal services,” he said.

The Public Relations Officer at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, Mr Akpedi Bernard, said that although it was unfortunate that nurses were proceeding on strike, the management, having anticipated the action, made arrangements by mobilising doctors to provide whatever skeletal services were possible.

He said: “With regard to the strike declared by NANNM, it’s unfortunate. As management, we are not happy about it—particularly because FMC Yenagoa is the only tertiary federal health facility in Bayelsa State, and we have the responsibility of meeting more than 70% of the healthcare needs of the people. It is the only principal referral centre we have here too, so when a strike like this occurs, it really affects us negatively.

“However, the management, anticipating the strike, put measures in place by mobilising the doctors to see what skeletal services they could provide. Of course, the very senior nurses—those at the management cadre—will also support, so that we can continue attending to those with very critical health needs and any very urgent cases that may arise while the strike is ongoing.”

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