Nurses protest new NMCN verification policy in Ibadan

Nurses in Ibadan on Thursday staged a protest against a new policy requiring verification of nursing certificates issued by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN).

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The nurses, who carried placards with inscriptions such as nurses are not slaves, nurses deserve the best, say no to new verification policy, embarked on a walk from Mobil bus stop on Ring road to their Nurses House, Oluyole Estate, Ibadan.

Speaking on behalf of the nurses, Mr Fawole Israel told the Newsmen that the nurses were discontented with the revised guidelines for verification of their licenses.

He said the nurses nationwide rejected the circular recently issued by NMCN.

“We have studied the circular carefully and observed imminent dangers and infringement to the rights of nursing professionals within Nigeria as well as the members rights of National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM). We are against the six months stated for us to do verification which should take just 48 hours. Also, it should be done free, but they want to increase it from N68,000 to N300,000.

“We say no to the two years post experience the Council is asking for, before we can be verified as a nurse, having got our licenses earlier. We stand against the goodwill reports it said we should get from our CEO’s before we can be certified and travel out. The protest will go on all over the nation and we in Ibadan are giving the council seven days to reverse it or face strike,” he said.

Israel said the nurses vehemently rejected the recent additions to the verification guideline as it not only demeans the profession, but absolutely undermines the aspirations of new graduate nurses for professional development and opportunities.

“The national leadership of NANNM said it had written and engaged the Registrar/CEO of the NMCN at series of meetings and is in consultation with relevant government agencies on the subject matter. The national and state leadership of NANNM should rather push for industrial action (nationwide strike) if the discussions with NMCN and other relevant government agencies were unfavorable to its members. We suggest that NANNM should engage its members as close as possible on the ongoing developments at the National level against the revised verification guidelines.

“Let a time frame be placed over its negotiations with the NMCN and its enquiries from relevant government agencies, in preparation for more stringent measures, before the implementation of the revised verification guidelines by March 1. We appreciate the assurance and commitment of the Association to always act in the best interests of its members,” he said.

Other demands of the nurses included increase in remuneration, improved welfare and increase in hazard allowance.

NAN/Wumi