Patients at healthcare centres in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, and other facilities across the state were stranded on Wednesday as nurses in public hospitals nationwide commenced a seven-day warning strike to emphasise their demands on issues affecting them.
The strike action initiated by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) disrupted the proper functioning of public hospitals in the state in the early hours of the day, as union leaders were present to monitor compliance.
When our correspondent visited the Primary Health Centre in Amarata community, Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa state, the busy health centre was not even open at 9am; residents suggested this might be due to the strike.
Also, at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), few patients were seen wandering around the wards without any attention from the nurses.
Some patients who spoke with our correspondent said they were still waiting for doctors’ attention after arriving at the hospital as early as 8am.
Additionally, those who claimed they had appointments with the doctors on Wednesday were also seen wandering around, waiting for attention.
The Chairman of NANNM at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Mr Liberia Woyengibarafagha Progress, who led the enforcement team at FMC, stated that there would be no skeletal services during the warning strike.
He said: “We I have nine-point demands. In Nigeria, they say nurses should not travel out of the country, and we have been suffering all this time, taking care of our patients and doing our best. At this point, we are asking the government to meet our needs so that we can also take proper care of our patients.
“Our demands are that the government should gazette our nursing scheme of service. We are requesting the implementation of the Industrial Act, 2012, an upward review of professional allowances for nurses and midwives, the employment of more nursing personnel, and the adequate provision of health facilities equipments.
“Currently, if you look at the hospitals, most times you don’t have equipment, it’s even hard for the government to even provide light for us in the hospital environment. We have been struggling to take care of our patients, and we are saying no, enough is enough.
“We are also asking for the creation of a nursing department. In the federal ministry, the nursing department is not there; everything boils down to one particular department, which I don’t want to mention, but we, the nurses, know that we are the majority in the health sector. We are not being recognised in Nigeria. Other countries recognise nurses, but we are not being recognised here.
“We are also asking for nurses to be included in leadership roles in health policy. What I mean is that most of our boards lack nurses, even though we form the core of the health sector and are not being represented. How can we participate in decision-making? Only a few states in Nigeria regularly appoint nurses as commissioners for health.
“We are also requesting the centralisation of internship postings for graduate nurses; the federal government should take over the posting of internship placements for nurses, as it is done for doctors. Additionally, we are calling for the creation of a consultancy cadre for nurses, including nurse consultants and nurse practitioners.
“This strike is a total shutdown, no plan for skeletal services, this strike had to do with federal, state and local government nurses nationwide, and currently, the hospital has discharged so many of their patients, we don’t have patients at the wards, so even the patients are suffering now.”
Also speaking, the National Treasurer of NANNM, Federal Health Institution Sector, and South South Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Amos Ombufa, stated that, following the seven-day warning strike, in accordance with labour law, the Union will issue an additional 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address the nurses’ needs. He also said that if, by the end of this period, their demands are not met, they will proceed with an indefinite strike.
“I urged nurses not to relent; we should press home our demands. As we are speaking, all the federal hospitals across the nation are totally shut down, especially in the South South zone where I’m in charge. There is total compliance; there is no provision for skeletal services,” he said.
The Public Relations Officer at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, Mr Akpedi Bernard, said that although it was unfortunate that nurses were going on strike, the management, anticipating the strike, prepared by mobilising the doctors to assess the limited services they could offer.
He said: “With regards to strike declared by NANNM, it’s unfortunate that as a management here, we are not happy about it, particularly in FMC Yenagoa, is the only tertiary federal health facility in Bayelsa State and we have the responsibility of taking care of more than 70 per cent health care needs of the people, it’s the only principal referral centre that we have here too, so when strike occured like this, it really affect us negatively.
“However, the management, anticipating the strike, organised the team by mobilising the doctors to identify the limited services they could still provide. Of course, the senior nurses, those in the management cadre, will also support, ensuring that patients with critical health needs continue to receive care, along with some urgent cases that may arise while the strike is ongoing,” he said.
