Nurses ask striking doctors to return to work

The National Association of Nigerian Paediatric Nurses, National Hospital, Abuja branch, has advised striking doctors to return to work, saying the health of Nigerians is their responsibility.

The national president of the association, Mrs Lawal Olubunmi, told NAN in Abuja on Monday, that many Nigerians with health challenges required the attention of the striking doctors.

Olubunmi said calling off the strike would go a long way to save the lives of many Nigerians.

“We all know that it (sacking of resident doctors) is a development, an eye opener, particularly for healthcare professionals who should know that being a nurse or a doctor is a calling.

“You have a duty to fulfill for yourself, for your community and to God. So everyone should see this profession as a calling and we have our responsibilities.

“It happens that way; well, it is also a measure of discipline because I also want to appreciate the boldness of President Goodluck Jonathan in taking this step.

“So that even as a nurse you know that you don’t joke with the health of the people. Have you noticed that each time there is a strike, many people die; our children die; our mothers die – for what? This is not the oath we took to defend, to protect, and to promote the health of our citizens.”

According to Olubunmi, for the country’s health to work better, all health workers must work together as a team.

“I want to also use this opportunity to say that the healthcare system is not for one person; it requires team work and we all have a role to play; it is about shared responsibility.

“For your effort to be felt, you need the other person; we can’t do without each other; these are all unhealthy rivalries and who suffers it? It is the citizens.

“If the government has taken steps to discipline the people who think they don’t have a responsibility to the citizens of this country, well, to me it is a welcome development.

“I want to also use this opportunity to tell Nigerians that we are nurses and we are going to do our best especially in this era of the Ebola Virus outbreak. I am also encouraging nurses to please scale up their commitment in this fight.”

A mental health nurse at the National Hospital, Abuja, Mr Abdulahi Egwa, urged health workers to consider the prevalence of the virus as an issue requiring priority attention.

“All civil servants in Nigeria, we have to respect our call, we should have priority in everything we are doing, especially for the outbreak of Ebola.

“I for one expect that every health worker should be proactive and feel like coming to the call to save the ordinary Nigerian even if it is mere public enlightenment that we can do.

“A patient in very critical condition can be brought to us; when you don’t have the adequate manpower on ground, you are even at risk of infecting others and you cannot break the chain of the infection effectively.

“So we call on the government to also look into the plight of the doctors, while the doctors should sheath their sword and also consider the public, consider themselves as humans, because it can be anybody. The Ebola virus is not a respecter of anybody.”