The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH chapter, has clarified that it is not the its responsibility to arrange for substitutes in the event of a strike.
Speaking to DAILY POST, the chapter chairman, Madonna Wichendu, stated that the responsibility of managing staff shortages during industrial action rests solely with the hospital management.
Wichendu explained that patients who are stable enough would be discharged, while those requiring critical care would be referred to other healthcare facilities for continued treatment.
She said, “Nurses nationwide are on strike, and we are not in any position to mandate any other person to take care of our patient in our absence.
“In situations like this, the hospital has a way of sorting the patients out.
“Those that are stable enough will be discharged home. The very critical ill or those that still need hospital admission would be transferred to some other place where they can access care.”
Commenting on the ongoing nationwide strike, Wichendu lamented the government’s consistent failure to honour long-standing agreements with the union.
Wichendu said negotiations have dragged on for years without resolution, and that while promises are often made, they are rarely fulfilled.
“This has been ongoing for years and the most painful aspect is that promises will be made but are never kept.
“The last time, I think that should be sometime last year, that nurses were to go on nationwide strike, warning strike, the government managed to call for a meeting and made huge promises of all the things that we are listed but nothing was done apart from opening the portal because of the agitation by nurses, who either want to leave the country or those who have left, but have not completed their online registration and all of that.
“The portal that was open is to enable people who are interested in traveling out to do their basic registration.
“There are basic registrations you can do from any part of the world, and it has to be done through the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.”
She also decried the poor working conditions for nurses in the country, noting that many specialized nurses fund their own training without any government support, and without corresponding increases in remuneration.
Wichendu explained further, “Truth be told, those of us that are still in the country and are still working are doing it for the love of the profession because we are passionate about it.
“It’s one thing to be a nurse. It’s one thing to be called to be a nurse. It’s another to be, maybe, forced or maybe just come into the profession because you know it’s a profession you can easily get a job and all of that.
“It has not been easy practicing in Nigeria as a nurse. Nurses are not recognized, nurses are not given their due place. Nurses are not well remunerated, we are not. It hasn’t been easy.
“You see a specialty trained nurse who went with her money, who sponsored herself because the government will not sponsor you, they will not sponsor you.
“The federal health institutions or other government institutions, maybe those in the state, I cannot say, but those of us at the federal health institutions hardly get any sponsorship for any programme.
“You pay put of pocket and you still come back to render services based on the professional specialty training you have gotten and not even a kobo is added.
“Apart from the peri-operating nurses in Nigeria – that’s the nurses who work in the theatre – apart from them, I am yet to see any other specialty in nursing that is paid specialty allowance. And it is very bad.”
The nurses, who began the industrial action on Wednesday, are protesting the prolonged neglect of salary structure reforms and welfare entitlements, citing persistent underfunding, severe staffing shortages, excessive workload, brain drain, and inadequate infrastructure as reasons for the strike.
The union commenced the industrial action after the Federal Government failed to meet their demands within the fifteen-day ultimatum given to it.
They embarked on the strike despite the Federal Government’s plea during a meeting held on Tuesday.
The meeting is expected to continue on Friday with the Minister of Labour, Muhammad Dingyadi.
