Tension In Hospitals As Nurses Set Terms For Ending Paralyzing Strike

Nigerian nurses, under the banner of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), have stated that their ongoing strike will only be suspended if the government meets their outlined demands.

This stance was revealed by Mrs. Josephine Bassey, Chairperson of the Cross River State chapter of NANNM, during an interview with journalists.

The nurses commenced a seven-day warning strike on Wednesday, July 30, to draw the government’s attention to their long-neglected grievances.

Bassey explained that the majority of their demands are administrative, including the implementation of policy documents and enforcement of court rulings.

“Our requests include the gazetting of the nursing scheme of service, which has been approved since 2016, the establishment of a Department of Nursing within the Federal Ministry of Health, and the centralisation of internships for nursing graduates,” she said.

She emphasized that the gazetting of approvals made by the National Council on Establishments remains a top priority. Other pressing demands include reviewing allowances for nurses and midwives and ensuring that nurses are represented on the boards of federal and state-owned health institutions.

Bassey also called for the urgent recruitment of nurses, citing a critical shortage of staff across the country.

She confirmed that the strike was being fully observed, with a dedicated monitoring team deployed to enforce compliance across all health facilities in the state.

“By 7:30 a.m., our team began visiting healthcare facilities to ensure strict adherence to the strike,” she said, adding that any nurse flouting the directive would be removed from duty and face disciplinary action at the national level.

Calling on the government to treat their demands with urgency, Bassey reminded them that nurses make up 60 to 65 percent of Nigeria’s healthcare workforce.

“If the government truly values our essential role in health service delivery, it must address our concerns immediately,” she urged.

Acknowledging the strike’s impact on patients, she appealed to the public to lend their voices in support of the nurses.

“We deeply empathize with patients, but we also call on the public to advocate for us. Once our demands are met, we are ready to return to work,” she assured.