The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM)’s (Kasina State Council) announced on Tuesday that all nurses and midwives working in state hospitals along the frontline and in the state’s most vulnerable areas would be fired.
The statement read “Health Worker You Are On Your Own,” was made by Nura Mu’azu, the association’s president, during a press conference held at the State Council Secretariat.
He claims that the threat is in effect until the need is met on Thursday, January 30th, 2025 at midnight.
The briefing is coming 14 days after gunmen abducted one of the association’s members, Nurse Yusuf Mai-Ruwa), a most hardworking, skilled and vastly experienced professional in the State Health Sector.
On Tuesday, January 15, 2025, while performing patriotic duties at the General Hospital in Kankara, Nurse Mairuwa was abducted while she was on duty.
The organization argued that the authorities must immediately put in place security that is available 24/7 and for the safety of Nurse Mairuwa and other captives.
Additionally, it demanded immediate compensation for its members who suffered one loss or the other as a result of insecurity while on the job, as well as better pay, to attract more health workers and improve healthcare delivery.
“Nurse Mai-Ruwa was taken unawares, without warning, by a threat of guns, and taken away with other health workers to a remote location, their whereabouts, and state.
” Nr. Mairuwa is a family man, with a wife and children whose means of livelihood, peace of mind and future were abruptly truncated. Every health worker serving on the front lines and in troubled areas is more afraid because it has been demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that no healthcare worker is safe despite our unimaginable sacrifices to society and humanity.
“The situation has also smacked the wounds that we all have from cases like the tragic death of our late coworker Nr. Gunmen killed Murtala Isah Safana in 2022, according to her (working then with the General Hospital Dutsin-ma).
” The attack on Nr. As a result of the abduction of the wife of one of our colleagues, No. 1, and the loss of his right eye forever, the registered ophthalmic nurse Hamza Saleh was traveling to work around the “Yan-Tumaki junction.” When unknown Gunmen attacked the hospital in November 2024, Mutafa Hamza, who gave food to him while he was on duty in General Hospital Kurfi, saved lives in the theatre and paid a ransom to get her released after disposing of all of their belongings and property, which left them impoverished because the salary is nothing to talk about.
” Comrades, you can recall that we wrote formerly to the Katsina State Government through the Hospital Management Board and copied all the relevant offices of the Government on the 15th of January, 2025 and highlighted the need to provide security in the hospital facilities across the frontline and vulnerable axis of this state and gave the Government Two weeks to do that or risk withdrawal of our members from the hospitals in Batsari, Danmusa, Kankara, Jibia, Dutsin-ma, Musawa, Malumfashi, Funtua, and even Batagarawa (GARSH). Since then, the State Government has made the promise to do so within three days in the vulnerable and seven days in the frontline.
“Unfortunately, no significant commitment is seen from the government practically as the 2-week period approaches tomorrow, and with the obvious consequences for our members, we can’t take this lightly because General Hospital Kankara was the second hospital that was attacked after General Hospital Kurfi, which was attacked late last year, leaving the victims on their own. So we are now acting independently while remaining in the workforce!
Although it is undeniable that the State Government and all other relevant stakeholders have made significant strides in the fight against insecurity in our beloved state, the need to do more is also growing, especially as the world’s health facilities are in danger of being most vulnerable to both human development and human development, as it is today. We applaud His Excellency and his administration for the investments this Administration made in the health infrastructure across Katsina state and for other accomplishments so far. However, one must be alive before one can take care of others’ lives because they must be in a safe place.
We want the general public to know that the troubling situation is not improving at all. For years, we have pressed for security to be provided in hospitals. We are certain that Nr. 1’s ransom demand will be a negative one. On social media, Mairuwa and other captives are posting demands for N270m for his release and another N270m for the other prisoners. When people are even putting food on the table, where on earth can his innocent family/relations get this kind of money? When many health professionals must leave the service en masse every day for better pay elsewhere, how much should they be paid to afford these unrealistic amounts of money? How do you begin to picture how difficult his ordeal was while he was a prisoner? What does the family/children of Nr. 1’s future hold? Mairuwa, and that of the other captives? How can you persuade someone to work and stay in this kind of setting?
We plead with you with reason and sympathy for our situation, as it is one of the most difficult decisions we have ever made because we have already made this enormous sacrifice to provide care to you through healthcare delivery. Despite receiving only N5 000 per month for our Hazard allowance, we are also receiving one of the lowest salaries and inadequate welfare in Nigeria. There are only about 1, 000 nurses and midwives employed in one of the nation’s largest populations, who are constantly struggling to meet the demands for care as health workers leave the service in search of better pay.
“where obtainable. Please accept the inconveniences that may result from this government’s failure to act decisively to save lives because the government’s main goal is the security and welfare of its citizens.
READ ALSO: Judiciary Is The Biggest Threat To Nigeria’s Democracy — Atiku
The workers want the hospitals in the aforementioned areas to have immediate access to 24/7 robust security, as well as immediate steps (whatever it takes) to ensure Mairuwa’s safe release while serving the government, as well as immediate compensation for our members who suffered one loss or the other as a result of this insecurity while on duty as mentioned above.
Other demands include higher salaries to entice more health workers and improve the delivery of care.
The group continued, “We are therefore withdrawing our members from the aforementioned facilities starting on Thursday, January 30th, 2025, by midnight until the needful is completed.”
Source: Channels TV
Leave a Reply