Health expert has urged Nigerian government to improve the working condition of nurses in the country, for enhanced productivity.
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The Director of Nursing Services at the Enugu State Hospitals Management Board, Mrs Eucharia Onah, made the call in an interview with Voice of Nigeria correspondent in her office in Enugu.
She extolled the professional ingenuity of Nigerian nurses, adding that their commitment to the development of Nigeria’s health sector, has become a driving force towards their global acceptability.
Onah appealed to the Federal Government to prioritise the welfare of nurses and ensure a conducive working environment for them, to check the mass exit of Nigerian nurses to foreign countries, in search of greener pastures.
She said, “Our nurses have made us proud over the years. They have continued to proved to the world that their training is superlative by every standard and cannot be equalled.
“Nurses occupied a paramount position in the health sector development of any nation, and over the years, they have demonstrated an high ethical conduct in the discharge of their duties.
“You see in Enugu State is being replicated in other states in the country. This is because we receive the same training and we take a common oath; to always ensure the well-being of the sick and needy.”
According to her, Nigerian nurses are given the best training, for them to be able to compete favourably with their counterparts in the global labour market, in providing quality health services.
She observed that the problem of inadequate equipment of health institutions in the country, low staff strength and poor remuneration of workers affect their attitude to work as well as their relationships with patients under their care.
“The nurse is a human being and in a situation where three nurses are supposed to be on duty but only one is running from one end of the hospital to another, obviously the mood of that nurse would change, because of stress and pressure. That is where they say, nurses are wicked,” Onah added.
The Director however, urged nurses to always abide by their oath of office and the ethics of the profession, no matter the circumstances themselves.
