On Wednesday, midwives and nurses in Oyo State declared that they would not end their current walkout unless the state administration complied with their demands. In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan, Dr. Samuel Adeyemi, the chairman of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), stated that the industrial action would not be reversed. According to NAN, on May 21, nurses and midwives employed by state government-owned hospitals and health centers went on an indefinite strike.
According to NAN, patients who regularly swarm hospitals in need of care are suffering as a result of the strike action since there are no nurses or midwives available to tend to them. The urgent mass hiring of nurses and midwives, as well as the correction of an incorrect notional date on the promotion letters of members who were due in 2017–2018, are among the requests made by NANNM. Others include the acceptance and application of professional development and lateral conversion for nurses, as it is in other federation states.
In addition, the group is requesting payment of 2011 salary arrears that were allegedly withheld and given to other employees.
But Adeyemi insisted that the strike would go on indefinitely until Gov. Seyi Makinde took the proper measures.
“That’s the decision of our congress since there is absolutely none of our agitations met, aside the advertisement of recruitment of nurses which could be a delay tactics.
“This is like one or two out of the eight items; even the advert has not culminated in employment.
You can imagine the kind of society we are living. No respect for human live. Strike in the health industry means a lot and will never be allowed in civilised countries.
“But the adverse is the case here. In conclusion, our indefinite strike continues,” Adeyemi said.
Dr. Akin Fagbemi, the chairman of the State Hospitals Management Board (SHMB), had stated that the recruitment concerns of the striking nurses were the main focus of their demands.
Fagbemi recollected that the state government had begun hiring health professionals in 2020 and that the board had been instructed to fill in any vacancies. He claimed that a job posting had been placed in a public setting seeking qualified personnel, including physicians, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, and physiotherapists.
In the best interests of the state’s citizens, the head of the SHMB urged the striking nurses and midwives to end their walkout.
“The recruitment of healthcare workers in the state is a continuous process and before the end of the year, the board will look at the gaps in the hospitals and do the needful,” Fagbemi stated.
