NANNM seeks recruitment of 2,000 nurses in Cross River

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives NANNM, Cross River State, has urged Governor Ben Ayade, to recruit 2,000 nurses to fill the manpower gap in the health sector.

READ ALSO:Nurses very vital to healthcare delivery – NANNM chairman

This appeal was made in Calabar on Tuesday, by the chairperson of the association, Mrs. Josephine Bassey.

She said the dearth of manpower was one of the greatest challenges facing NANNM in the state.

She explained that the call became necessary because most of the health facilities within the state were understaffed.

the NANNM boss noted that the last time the state recruited nurses was in 2018, adding that since then, no other recruitment exercise had taken place in spite of the retirement of nurses from service yearly.

She said, “For instance, in the Ogoja Local Government Area, we have 53 health facilities. The general hospital in Ogoja has only 82 nurses, while the rest have only nine nurses. Sadly also, Biase Local Government Area has 52 health facilities with two nurses, while in Obudu we have 66 health facilities with only seven nurses.”

“These nurses are grossly inadequate to care for patients in the various facilities, hence, they are subjected to undue pressure with limited time to rest. I wish to call on the governor to recruit 2,000 nurses with a view to make up for the dearth of manpower in our health facilities, especially the ones in the rural areas.”

While listing her achievements within one year in office, she said that she assisted in the implementation of nurses’ promotion in the state.

Bassey stressed that she facilitated the payment of all outstanding premiums and other welfare benefits to retired nurses across the state.

She further revealed that she acquired a vast land in the Ogoja Local Government Area for nurses in Cross River North and ensured that those from the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital joined the state welfare scheme of the association.

Bassey called on the state government to always remit check-off dues and other welfare deductions to the association promptly.

She also urged the management of the Cross River State University to create a “Department of Nursing Science in the university in order to promote the study of nursing in the state.”

NAN