Nurses, midwives threaten to withdraw services over insecurity in Katsina

Nurses and midwives in Katsina State are set to withdraw services from hospitals located in security-prone council areas over the incessant killing and abduction of their members.

At a press conference Tuesday, the health workers under the umbrella of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), gave state government till midnight of Thursday, January 30 to meet specific demands or risk service withdrawal from these areas.

NANNM Katsina State chairman, Nurse Nura Mu’azu, identified the security-prone council areas to include Batsari, Danmusa, Kankara, Jibia, Dutsinma, Musawa, Malumfashi, Funtua, and Batagrawa.

Mu’azu said some members of the body had either lost their lives, been maimed for life, or were abducted for ransom at hospitals in the frontline council areas.

He mentioned a recent incident in which one Nurse Yusuf Mairuwa was abducted along with other health workers on Tuesday, January 15, at the General Hospital, Kankara council area.

He said the kidnappers had demanded hundreds of millions in ransom, even as the incident among others, has raised fear amongst health workers rendering services in the frontline councils.

He said the association had written to the state government to boost security in frontline hospitals and healthcare centers, but nothing has been done after.

The association’s chairman said although the state government was making headway in tackling insecurity, more needs to be done, especially in protecting hospitals and healthcare workers from falling victim to attacks by hoodlums.

He identified demands by the association to include, “immediate provision of 24/7 robust security in all the hospitals in the aforementioned areas.

“Implement measures (whatever it takes) to ensure the safe release of Nr. Mairuwa (and other captives) as he was abducted while serving the government.

“Immediate compensation to our members who were subjected to one loss or the other due to this insecurity while on duty.
“Better renumeration to attract more health workers for better healthcare delivery.”