The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives has revealed that 90 per cent of its demands to the Federal Government require no financial commitment.
The Chairman of NANNM’s Cross River State chapter, Mrs. Josephine Bassey, made this disclosure while speaking about the seven-day warning strike that began on Wednesday, July 30.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria in Calabar, Bassey explained that most of the association’s demands revolve around administrative issues. These include implementing existing policy papers, enforcing court judgments, and gazetting long-standing approvals by the National Council on Establishments.
“Our demands include the gazetting of the nursing scheme of service approved since 2016 and the creation of a Department of Nursing in the Federal Ministry of Health,” Bassey stated. “Another key demand is the centralization of internship for nursing graduates.”
The association is also calling for the review of provisional allowances for nurses and midwives, appointment of nurses to the boards of federal and state health institutions, and urgent employment of more nurses to address severe staffing shortages.
Bassey reported total compliance with the strike directive, with 100 percent participation recorded on the first day. “We started as early as 7:30 a.m. to monitor all health facilities across the state to ensure full compliance,” she said. She warned that any nurse found violating the strike would face sanctions at the national level.
Highlighting nurses’ critical role in healthcare delivery, Bassey noted that nurses constitute 60 to 65 percent of the healthcare workforce. “If the government truly appreciates the critical role we play in healthcare delivery, it should address our demands promptly,” she emphasized.
While acknowledging the strike’s impact on patients, Bassey appealed for public understanding and support. “We feel the pain of the patients, but we also urge them to cry out on our behalf to well-meaning Nigerians and the government, so our concerns can be addressed,” she said.
The NANNM chairman assured that nurses would immediately return to work once their demands are met, stressing that most of their requests involve administrative actions rather than financial commitments from the government.