Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Federal Government (FG) to prioritise the welfare of nurses and midwives in the country to boost their work performance.
The NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Waba said this in his address at the 2022 International Nurses/Midwives Week and Scientific Session, organised by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) with the theme: “Nurses, a voice to lead: invest in nurses and respect rights to secure a global future.”
Wabba said nurses and midwives are entitled to decent wages and hazard allowances that is commensurate to the service they are rendering and labour demanded that the circular for the hazard allowance be released.
“You will also know how to assert your rights. Workers are not slaves. They are citizens. They have rights that needed to be respected that is why we have the provisions in our labour laws to protect our citizens”.
Wabba commended the NANNM for organizing elaborate conference to commemorate this year’s nurses and midwives week despite the daunting challenges that is affecting workers and citizens in the country.
“You are organising this conference in the mist of different challenges, particularly the one in the economy which is biting us very hard. I will continue to commend you that nursing is a very noble profession”.
He expressed optimism that with the caliber of resources persons invited to the conference, the nurses will go back to their various states better.
The Chairman House Committee on Health, Hon. Tanko Sununu in his goodwill message pointed out that as far as this regime is concerned, this regime must be commended because as the Chairman House Committee on health, he know that this government has tried.
Sununu disclosed that 100 per cent budgetary provision for health is followed by 100 per cent budgetary release and this is something that need to celebrate.
“I quite believe that nurses and other health workers in the country have done a lot of sacrifice and they are currently making the sacrifice”.
“The hazard allowance that we are talking about was made clear by our Speaker that this is not acceptable. N5000 as hazard is not acceptable”.
“The House has championed the review of that allowance and we have agreed with the executive to liaise with the union so that we can have acceptable allowance”.
“For hazard, it require bilateral approach- government participation and individual. Government cannot provide you with protective devices, you can use you own personal money to buy it to protect yourself”.
“It is the same hazard allowance you will use to do that. So, the argument for the review of hazard allowance is germane and we must see to it conclusion”.
We are in a situation whereby the country is in poverty, diseases and insecurity. We call on you to please make more sacrifices. Most of you have the opportunity and the ability to move out of the country to practice, but you have decided on your own to remain, please couple that decision with ability to improve service delivery”.
“I was so happy when I saw through your programme where you are going to discuss on improving nurses-patient relationship. This is the most vital aspect that every health worker must be sure health worker-patient relationship is improved”.
“As at today, in assessing quality healthcare delivery, patients satisfaction is an important key point. I must assure you, where the environment is hostile, patients cannot get satisfaction in the care they receive”.
“The government must, therefore, make efforts to ensure that the welfare of health workers is taken care of so that we can have the enabling environment to practice”.
The President of NANNM, Comrade Michael Nnachi in his welcome address demanded that the government should recruit more nurses to improve available workforce and to improve the condition of services of nurses and midwives in Nigeria.
Nnachi further appreciated government and the National Council on Establishment and in particular, the Office of the Head of Service for giving approval for proper grading of nurses in Nigeria.
“The proper grading was achieved at the 43rd NCE that was held this year. It is important to make it clear that up till now we are still expecting the enabling circular so that the implementation kicks-off. It will also help to ease the feelings of the nurses. If the circular is released, it will be a thing of joy”.
“There is urgent need to improve the welfare package of nurses in the country. All the people leaving Nigeria is for greener pasture, recognition and value attached to the nurses and midwives”.
“If the government can do that, it will also give us a sigh of relief and we will be happy. The nurses because of the nature of our profession are committed and dedicated to work, we have the compassion and we have the empathy to care for people”.
“As we are caling on the government to invest in nursing, we are talking about Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we cannot achieve this without nurses and midwives. We are talking about access to healthcare, and affordability”. He said.