Patients groan as nurses’ strike grounds hospitals nationwide

File: Nurses

Patients in public hospitals across the country were left groaning, stranded, dejected and frustrated on Wednesday as nurses under the umbrella of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives-Federal Health Institutions Sector commenced a nationwide seven-day warning strike.

The industrial action led to widespread disruption across health facilities in the country as patients were discharged due to a shortage of nurses, many hospital wards were deserted, skeletal services operated in some areas, while others were completely shut down.

Overwhelmed by patient loads, the few available medical staff members struggled to maintain basic operations.

In the Federal Capital Territory, Bayelsa, Benue, Kebbi, Edo, Rivers, Ogun, Gombe, Jigawa, Sokoto, and Borno, scenes at hospitals showed parents clutching their children on benches, patients begging for attention, children returning home with sick relatives, some sitting on the floor, and others leaning against walls in distress.

The NANNM-FHI is demanding from the Federal Government an upward review of shift allowance, adjustment of uniform allowance, creation of a separate salary structure for nurses, an increase in core duty allowance, mass employment of nurses, and the establishment of a nursing department within the Federal Ministry of Health.

Before embarking on the strike, the union had issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, warning of an imminent total shutdown of healthcare services if their demands were not addressed.

At the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, there were long queues at the General Out-Patient Department, Immunisation Section, Consultation Section, and Surgical Out-Patient Department.

Executives of NANNM were at the hospital to monitor compliance with the strike directive.

Speaking during the monitoring at the medical centre, the NANNM chairman, Victor Asu, said, “I am here today (Wednesday) to ensure absolute compliance. Although doctors and other healthcare workers are not on strike, services have become slow, and patients are already complaining.