NANNM seeks improved welfare for nurses

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has urged the Federal Government to invest more in nurses’ training and welfare. Chairman of NANNM’s FCT-Council,  Jaman Medan, made this call on Sunday in Abuja while speaking to newsmen after a thanksgiving outing, part of the activities lined up to celebrate the 2024 FCT Nurses Week. The theme for this year’s nurses week is “Our nurses, our future: The economic power of care”.

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Medan emphasised the importance of better welfare packages for nurses, stressing that they are the backbone of medical care

“We urge the government to invest in nurses’ training, welfare, and overall development. Nurses work in critical areas of our country’s healthcare facilities. I recently discovered why many nurses are leaving Nigeria. I implore the government to reassess nurses’ remuneration and prioritise their welfare. We appeal to the government to invest in nursing education, practice, and the entire sector. This investment will yield significant benefits. Nurses play a vital role in patient care, encompassing disease prevention, treatment, and more. Nurses are instrumental in various healthcare aspects. Visit an intensive care unit, and you’ll understand their significance. Nurses are often the only healthcare professionals patients can interact with directly. Beyond administering injections, our nurses perform tasks typically associated with doctors. Nurses work tirelessly in various hospital departments, including labour rooms, where they welcome newborns and provide essential care.”

He emphasised that nurses provide care to patients from the onset of illness until recovery or, in some cases, until the end of life, underscoring the immense responsibility nurses bear in medical care

Also, Helen David, the Financial Secretary of the council, echoed the Chairman’s sentiments, emphasising that without nurses, hospitals would cease to function.

She stressed that the healthcare system relied heavily on nurses and would collapse without them.

David also highlighted the vital role nurses play in the healthcare sector, asserting that their contributions deserved recognition and respect, rather than being overlooked

“Nurses are indispensable administratively, and their contributions are invaluable. We provide care across all age groups and sectors within healthcare. Nurses take the lead in caring for mental health patients, and their role continues to grow. Nurses touch every facet of healthcare, delivering comprehensive, holistic care to patients,” she stated.

NAN/Wumi