Nigerian Nurses Decry Manpower Shortage in Public Health Sector

…Urge Buhari to Scrap Salary Disparity in Medical Profession…

By Abdurofiu Agboola, Osogbo

The Association of Nurses and Midwives of Nigeria has expressed dissatisfaction over shortage of nurses and midwives in the public health sector.

The health practitioners bemoaned the palpable decadence in the health sector and lack of adequate infrastructure and functional equipment.

The healthcare givers made the statement in Osogbo at the Association’s 6th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference.

This year conference with the theme: “Nursing Education in Contemporary Nigeria System; Issues and Challenges”, attracted dignitaries, professionals and top government officials from all walks of life.

Appraising some pertinent issues in the sector, the President, National Association of Nigeria Nurses And Midwives, NANNM, Alhaji Abdul-Rafiu Adeniji, lamented over the challenges facing the association in the country, saying it is imperative for government to address the issues of acute shortage of nurses and midwives to guarantee adequate and quality healthcare delivery.

Adeniji explained that the shortage is an irony of sort, in the face of “torrents of qualified nurses and midwives” who are unemployed, saying this anomaly has been responsible for continuous brain drain, coupled with lack of adequate remuneration and incentives.

He added that stagnation in the promotion of his members; threat of demotion and reduction in the take-home pay are serious challenges facing nurses and midwives at various health facilities across the country.

The senior nurse further condemned the disparity between the remuneration of his members and other professionals in the sector, just as he called for urgent intervention by the Ministry of Labour.

He said, “It is pertinent to draw the attention of the government to the acute shortage of nurses and midwives in our public health facilities despite high numbers of qualified unemployed  professionals.

“We also want the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to look into the issues of arbitrary demotion of our members and victimisation so that there would not be brain drain.

“Our members are confronted with the challenge of discrimination by the disparity of remuneration between our profession and other medical professionals.

“All these and many more must be addressed by the government to put the sector in a right footing”.

Meanwhile, Adeniji has made case for adequate infrastructures and functional equipment in the sector, alongside consistent advocacy towards appropriate maintenance culture.

While reacting on the release and reinstatement of the sacked Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, Dr. Angela Uwakwem who is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Adeniji described the decision for her reinstatement as uncalled for.

It would be recalled that Uwakwem, has been undergoing severe investigation from the officials of the EFCC over alleged gross financial misconduct; high-handedness, nepotism, occultic practices and lots more.

The reports had it that Uwakwem suspension emerged to allow the investigative panel do its job without interference but later reinstated by the Federal Ministry of Health.

NANNM President however, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to re-investigate the issue in order to uncover those who brought the embattled health practitioner back to office, saying her reinstatement compromises professional standards and aiding corruption.

Adeniji who insisted that Dr. Uwakwem shouldn’t have returned to office until she is being cleared of the offence levelled against her by the EFCC, said once the case has been established, she (Uwakwem) supposed to be on suspension until the issue is determined in line with the provisions of Public Service Rules, by the competent court of law.

He also condemned in entirety the alleged inhuman treatment of healthcare professionals received from the security officers while protesting over what he described as jungle justice that reinstate the sacked CMD.

“All well meaning Nigerians should rise up in defense of sanity at FMC Oweri. We felt sorry for this country when we watched the video where uniform men are used to brutalise peaceful health workers protesting jungle justice of returning CMD of a hospital that has been charged to court by the EFCC for corruption.

“We have to speak now before loss of lives. Am sure the whole world will be interested in such video of show of shame and brutality in a health institution to prove the point that all is not well in Nigerian health sector.

He, therefore, called on President Muhammod Buhari to look into the matter and call the security men and their clients into order, saying “injustice to one, is an injustice to all”.