FCT NANNM ends International Nurses Week with demands

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), FCT Council, ended its celebration of 2021 International Nurses Week, with a call on the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, for a sustainable health hazard allowance, among other requests.

The one-week event with a theme: ‘Nurses: A Voice to Lead, A Vision for Future Healthcare’, featured a scientific session, novelty match, road walk/nurses carnival, award/dinner night, products exhibition and other educative activities. The sub-themes also looked at the nursing workforce planning, management and regulations: a critical tool for quality healthcare delivery; as well as COVID-19 and emerging threat to nurses as front line managers.

The Chairperson of NANNM, FCT Council, Comrade Deborah Yusufu, said the Nurses Week is the celebration of the legendary Florence Nightingale’s birthday, the founder of modern nursing, adding that the yearly event is celebrated globally by nurses and midwives.

She painted the picture of the pathetic working conditions and unconducive environment nurses work in; and demanded a sustainable health allowance for her members to boost their commitment and morale.

“This is the more reason why the government needs to look into the demand of a sustainable health hazard allowance,” she said.

Comrade Yusufu added: “As a peaceful association, we are appealing for a parcel of land that will serve as an estate for our nurses to cushion the effect of unaffordable house rent in the FCT.

Equally, we will appreciate a provision of a utility vehicle for ease of monitoring and supervision of our members who are spread in the nooks and crannies of the FCT.

According to her, nursing is often a hectic, exhausting job, hence, the need to take on the contributions of nurses and the critical role they play in patients’ care. She stated that 2020 was declared as the year of nurses and midwives by World Health Organization (WHO) and decided to extend the theme to 2021 which is an affirmation that nurses are the centre of patient care and always play a significant role in the healthcare delivery system.

She said: “Our job as nurses is to cushion sorrow, dispense comfort, compassion and care without even a prescription. Furthermore, if you are close to a nurse, consider yourself lucky.

Therefore, investing in nursing is the way to go. We make up the largest healthcare workers who have very clear and significant roles.”

Comrade Yusufu commended the tenacity of the nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic which is a public health emergency, adding, “as heroes and soldiers in the fight against the pandemic, we put our lives on the line to serve humanity, so many of our members paid the supreme price.  May their souls rest in peace. Often than not, we are faced with vicarious traumatization, highly vulnerable to infection and too often under-appreciated, yet we remain committed and dedicated.”

While commending the Minister of FCT for his support, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, she said: “I want to use this medium to appreciate you for making out time to be part of our celebration, this is a clear indication that you are workers friendly. We assure you of our continuous support as you provide quality leadership to FCT residence.

“Worthy of mention is your humble style of leadership, You are a leader with listening ears especially to workers’ demands and aspirations. Your role in the fight against COVlD-1 9 cannot be overemphasized. This, therefore, is highly commendable. During the pandemic, you made necessary provisions for all the basic equipment needed. You stood out among your peers.”

According to her, the FCT minister is the first to pay the first tranche of COVID-1 9 hazard allowance, first to implement and pay the consequential adjustment of minimum wage with arrears, skipping and relativity allowance, and the only state that does not owe workers salaries. She added that before the advent of lPPIS their salaries were paid on or before the 25th of every month.

She called for the employment of more Nurses and Midwives, saying, “with the influx of clients to our facilities, members are overwhelmed, leading to burn-out and stress as a nurse attends to 22-24 patients on a shift as against WHO standard of 1:4 or 1:2 in critical care, is also compounded by attrition of nurses and midwives. We are grossly inadequate in numbers. We assure the Minister of our support to his administration in providing purposeful leadership to the FCT populace and Nigeria at large.”

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