The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Federal Health Institution Sector, has announced a nationwide strike to begin on Wednesday. NANNM cited low pay, insufficient allowances and general neglect of the nursing sector in governmental provisions as grievances.
A 15-day ultimatum given to the federal government to consider their requests ended on Tuesday, and the 7-day warning strike is set to begin by midnight.
The Punch reports that the strike would affect 74 federal hospitals, other state hospitals and primary healthcare centres across the 36 states and 774 local government areas of Nigeria.
Emergency services in eye centres, neuropsychiatric hospitals, orthopaedic, teaching and general hospitals will be impacted.
“There will not be emergency services. The strike is total. There will be no skeletal services,” Omomo Tibiebi, the National Public Relations Officer, told reporters.
The demands presented by NANMM include an increase of nurses salaries, including higher shift allowances, a 4% increase in core duty allowances, funds for equipment and an increase in uniform allowances. They also demand a reconstitution of the Nursing and Midwifery Council Board, an increased nursing workforce and a separate department in the Ministry of Health.
Currently, the uniform allowance for nurses is N20,000 per year despite the high intensive use of nursing gowns, and the need for constant change because of the nature of the healthcare environment. In addition to this, the lab coat allowance for doctors was reviewed while the nurses were overlooked.
Nurses are also supposed to earn 30% of their salary as shift allowances according to a 2009 circular, but they are given only 6.8%; “a gateman’s shift allowance” as Morakinyo Rilwan, the National Chairman of NANNM-FHI, described it.
While speaking to The Punch, Rilwan lamented the neglect of nurses nationwide and the lack of structure put in place to help them pursue their interests specifically. She also mentioned how health centres were understaffed with fewer nurses, despite being in high demand.
“The government keeps saying there’s a nursing shortage, but Nigeria produces over 10,000 nurses annually, but many are underemployed, working in private hospitals for peanuts or on temporary locum contracts in government facilities. We have enough nurses. They just don’t employ or pay them well. That’s why they leave,” Rilwan said.
“It’s unfair. We work the longest hours with patients, and yet they give us crumbs.”
The warning strike will commence at 12:01 am on Wednesday.
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