Nurses to FG: Do the needful for doctors to call off strike — people are dying

Nurses have asked the federal government to meet the demands of resident doctors to pave way for the suspension of the ongoing strike action.

On August 2, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) commenced a nationwide strike over irregular payment of salaries, hazard allowances, among other issues.

Reacting to the development on Thursday, Olubunmi Lawal-Aiyedun, the former president of National Association of Nigerian Pediatric Nurses, said doctors need to be comfortable to do their best to save lives, noting that people are dying due to the “many things that are wrong with the health system”.

NAN quoted Lawal-Aiyedun as saying that in many hospitals in the country, one nurse is attached to about 30 to 40 patients.

“People are dying; so many things are wrong with the health system. I call on the government to do the needful, we need to change the narrative and call off the strike,” she said.

“It is not easy putting your life on the line daily to ensure the health of others.

“In many hospitals, you find that one nurse is attached to about 30 to 40 patients. There is gross lack of adequate health professionals.’’

Speaking in the same vein, Blessing Opara, the assistant director, nursing, National Hospital, Abuja, said nurses are working under difficult situations, adding that “instead of nursing four patients, we nurse 20 or more in a shift.”

“Manpower is the major challenge that nurses face in providing healthcare today,” she said.

On his part, Francis Obaje, a theatre nurse at Kogi State Specialists Hospital, Lokoja, said the strike embarked upon by resident doctors has affected the capacity of the healthcare system to deliver critical services.