The indefinite strike by nurses and midwives in the employ of the Oyo State Government is now one month old.
The nurses had on May 21 downed tools in compliance with a directive by the Oyo State chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) that they embark on indefinite strike owing to failure of government to address its demands.
The NANNM through its state chairman, Adeyemi Samuel, and Secretary, Aina Emmanuel, had then declared that the strike would be total and indefinite until the state government begins to implement its requests.
The toll of the strike was evident when the Nigerian Tribune visited Adeoyo Maternity Teaching Hospital, Yemetu, as the usual boisterous nature within the hospital was almost non-existent, with other health personnel attempting to fill the gaps left by the nurses and midwives.
Confirming that the strike subsisted, Chairman, NANNM, Adeyemi Samuel bemoaned that there was little progress from government in attending to the nurses’ demand for the past one month.
Stating that government had sought applications for recruitment of medical personnel, he said the union yearned for actionable implementation of its demands not just government statements or promises.
Among demands of the nurses and midwives is the need for mass recruitment of nurses and midwives/nurse educators into hospitals management board, Primary Health Care Board, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Ogbomoso, and Oyo State College of Nursing Sciences, Eleyele, Ibadan, to address the gross shortage of staff to improve health care delivery in the state.
This, the association said had become imperative because several medical personnel had left for foreign countries leaving huge burden of work for those left behind.
Speaking with Nigerian Tribune on Thursday, the NANNM chairman, Adeyemi said: “The strike is indefinite and is still on. There is little or no progress. Progress for a union leader is to see action not promises, not that there has been approval. Some of the demands do not need financial effect.
“They have declared advert for recruitment but how long will it take to conclude recruitment in an emergency situation where we have two, three nurses working in a general hospital? We are slaving away, you want to kill us? Where 20 is supposed to work, you have one person there. You see two nurses attending to 200 persons. We want action, enough of promises.”
Other demands of the nurses are correction of wrong notional date on promotional letters issued to its members and, adoption and implementation of 25 percent CONMESS adjustment circular for nurses and midwives working with Oyo State Government.
The NANNM is also calling for financial implementation of 2018 to 2022 promotion for nurses and midwives working in LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, and payment of withheld January/February 2011 salaries to nurses that are yet to be paid.
Also requested is adoption and implementation of enhanced hazard allowances for nurses and midwives working in LAUTECH teaching hospital, Ogbomoso, Oyo State College of Nursing, Eleyele-Ibadan, Oyo State College of Health Technology, Eleyele-Ibadan and Primary Health Care Development Board/LGA.
He also said the union yearned for adoption and implementation of lateral conversion/career progression for nurses and midwives on GL12 and above that have possessed degree certificates in Nursing Sciences (BNSc).
One more agitation of the NANNM is for payment of uniform allowance to all nurses and midwives in the service of Oyo State in line with public services rule.
Speaking with Nigerian Tribune on the ongoing strike, Chairman, Hospital Management Board, Dr Akin Fagbemi said all the eight demands were administrative and within the power of the state government to attend to.
He said the state government had begun addressing the demands by putting out advertisements calling for applications to fill vacancies by medical personnel who have retired or left the shores of the country.
Stating that the conversation with the NANNM was on, Fagbemi urged the striking nurses to call off the strike bearing in mind that they were delivering humanitarian services.
Fagbemi said: “The governor, Seyi Makinde has been very magnanimous in responding to all government workers issues in the state, the nurses inclusive.
“Looking at all the demands, they are purely administrative which it is within the power of government to do and Makinde has given directives in respect to that.
“The key area where I can emphatically bring out in confidence that we have done is the issue of recruitment, if you look at their eight demands, one of them is recruitment and you will understand that in 2020 government recruited health workers and there has also been given directive to replace if there are vacancies within the board.
“Currently we have our advert out within the public space to recruit competent and those that can fit into different categories that is the doctors, pharmacies, nurses, and other areas within the board.
“And for the Nurses that are on strike, we have been on talking terms with them. I spoke with the chairman on Friday and this afternoon, they have seen the positive steps were taken but we have also told them that there is a need that they should also reconsider to calling off because some of the things we are doing we are positive that it is also going to be in their interest and interest of the government.
“However, the work we do here is more of humanitarian, we are dealing with the public and healthcare our people are the end users they should look at it from that end, they should ensure they call off because they are serving humanity and they promised us they are going to look into it and then call off.
“I hope that very soon they call off but again let me use this opportunity to call out other healthcare workers working in our hospitals in Oyo state because during this strike some people are over-stressed and working round the clock and gap that is being created as it is now by the nurses and midwives some other health workers are filling up this gaps. We thank them on behalf of the governor and board and we have also seen that other health workers we want to encourage them that we would continue to look into it inline with the Governor’s directive and not forget that healthcare is part of our 2.0 sustainable development and if you know at it critically, it is a critical aspect of government and we have got a lot of facilities that are on we are expecting them soonest to join us and I know that they will do that.
“I also spoke with the director nursing services board and she too has been up and doing the commissioner for health we have been working hand in hand in synergy together with the Head of Service, so it has been a collective responsibility not only the board that has been in talking terms with them and I believe in the leadership of the union nursing and midwives association we know that they are responsible and they will respond to our demands because they are people of integrity to me soonest we should expect them back.”
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