Nigerian nurses protest over Primary Healthcare Centres closure, unpaid wages

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Abuja chapter on Thursday staged a protest over the alleged shutdown of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Penpushing reports that the protest also included members of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The nurses are demanding the immediate reopening of all Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage, and payment of outstanding arrears and allowances.

Penpushing further reports that Chairman of National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Abuja, Jama Medan while speaking during lamented the deteriorating health situation, stating that Nigeria ranked second globally in maternal and child mortality rates.

The Chairman warned that continued closure of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), could worsen the crisis, pointing out that the association has less than 130 nurses and midwives manning those centres

‘We have less than 130 nurses and midwives manning these centres. Women and children are dying because the facilities have been shut for over a month. There’s a gross shortage of manpower, and no one in government is addressing the issue’, he said

Penpushing also reports that Medan alleged that in spite of the release of more than N4.1 billion by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to address the crisis, area council chairmen had refused to pay entitlements.

The association boss emphasized that these entitlements, include hazard and uniform allowances for nurses and other health workers, and equally expressed concern over the disruption of a scheduled nationwide polio vaccination campaign in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) due to the shutdown, warning that the territory risked new cases of the disease.

Penpushing reports that Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Abdullahi Shafa In solidarity, condemned the non-payment of minimum wage to primary school teachers, noting that they had been on strike for more than a month.

The union leader called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, to intervene urgently to avoid a total collapse of the education system in the area councils, and threatened that the union will join the protest if the minister failed to act on the workers’ demands within a week.

Penpushing further reports that Mandate Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) Education Secretariat, Hayyo Danlami, responding on behalf of the Minister promised to deliver the protesters’ letter to the minister and assured them that their concerns would be addressed.

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