Nurses join JOHESU strike

THE National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has directed its members in all federal health institutions across the country to commence indefinite strike from midnight today.

This is in line with the decision of the Joint Heath Sector Union (JOHESU), who had given the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum, within which to meet their demands, or face industrial action.

Following its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja, NANNM, directed all nurses and midwives in all Federal Government hospitals to immediately begin strike.

“Therefore, all Nurses and Midwives in all Federal Health Institutions are hereby directed to join other JOHESU members to proceed on an indefinite strike action from midnight of Wednesday, 20th of September 2017.” National President of NANNM, Abdulrafiu Adeniji, said while addressing a press conference after the meeting.

He added: “Finally, it should be noted that the continuous peace and harmony in the health sector can no longer be guaranteed if the Federal Government fails to abide by the various agreements reached since 2012 for the betterment of Nursing Profession and the Health Sector in general.”

He, however, warned that nurses and midwives at the states and local governments across the country will also join the strike if after a week, the situation remains the same and government refused to meet their demands.

The NANNM president lamented the poor funding of the health sector and called on the Federal, state and local government to give health funding a priority, by increasing budgetary allocation to health in line with 15% standard as contained in Abuja Declaration.

He said: “The Union concluded that under-budgeting and lack of adequate financing is the bedrock of inadequate quality of care and poor health care services outcome, and urged the executive and legislature at Federal, State and Local Government levels to increase budgetary allocation into Nigeria health care system to at least meet the African agreed standard of 15% budgetary allocation as contained in Abuja declaration of April, 2001 by Heads of States of African Union.

“It was equally resolved that the time is now to implement the fund allocation clause as contained in the Nigeria Health Act to consolidate Primary Health care services.”

Adeniji explained that the association, during the meeting, discussed exhaustively on issues bordering on Nigeria health care services, state of infrastructure, Nigeria health care policies and management, Nigeria security matters, the Nursing Profession, the welfare of her members and took critical decisions on all the issues.

He said the leadership of NANNM is in agreement with all JOHESU’s positions on the recent 7-day ultimatum given to the Federal government to accede to all its lingering demands dated back to 2012.

He said: “That the Unified Scheme of Services approved for Nurses and Midwives which recognizes the professional status of Nursing. And the Lateral conversion for those that have acquired Bachelor of Nursing Sciences (BNSc) and internship for fresh graduates of Nursing sciences should be promptly gazetted without further delay.

“It is equally noted with concern that the Federal Ministry of Health need to accede to the request of the Association to effect proper placement of Nurses interns.”

He added: “Members during the meeting noted with great concern the lack of equipment and Medical consumables in all the health facilities in the country that have affected the delivery of quality Health Care to the Nigeria citizens.”

He, therefore, called on the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and respective managements of Federal Health institutions and by extension State and Local Government owned health institutions to do the needful in this regard.

“The Leadership rejects in totality the promotion of our members from one grade level to the same grade level amounting to titular promotion, stagnation in some cases, demotion and or re-designation in the Federal Health institutions and calls on the authorities concerned to correct the anomaly with immediate effect,” He said.