Revive Nigeria’s ailing health sector, nurses tasks Tinubu

The nurses and midwives under the aegis of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, has tasked the newly elected President Bola Tinubu to make the health sector functional and save it from imminent collapse. They further appealed to the President to put an end to the perennial decay in the sector.

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The National President of NANNM, Michael Nnachi, who made the appeal during an interview with newsmen said that the health sector was facing several challenges, especially the nursing profession.

Recall that Tinubu won the February 2023 presidential election and was declared the president-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission. He was on Monday sworn in as the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was administered the oath of office by the Chief Justice of the Federation, Olukayode Ariwoola at the Eagles Square in Abuja.

Nnach however said that the President should look into health workers’ condition of service, particularly that of nurses and midwives, noting that due to poor wages and lack of conducive work environments, many have left the country in search of greener pastures.

He said, “The health sector is a critical sector and as a result of that, my expectation is that the issue of decay should be addressed once and for all. I expect the Tinubu-led government to address issues that have to do with the condition of service and not to allow the sector to collapse. If the health sector collapses, it will be a disaster for our economy. The conditions of services must be addressed. He should be able to address our demands to end the issue of the strike. If nurses go on strike for one day, the system will collapse and there will be loss of lives,” he added.

Nnachi further disclosed that nurses were critical to the attainment of Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goals, noted that nurses work in high-stress environments. Consequently, he said this could lead to burnout, poor service delivery, higher morbidity and mortality rates, as well as mental challenges.

Urging the President to do the needful, he said, “The President should make the health sector functional. If our health sector becomes functional with all the necessary equipment and manpower, and the expectations of the average Nigerian are met, that will be okay. If the challenges are not addressed and we continue to have brain drain, it might lead to the collapse of the health sector,” he noted.

According to NANNM, no fewer than 75,000 nurses and midwives migrated from Nigeria in the last five years as a result of poor wages and lack of decent work environments. A new report by the United Nations Population Fund estimates that the world had run short of 900,000 of these essential service providers. It also noted that if this deficit is fixed, it could prevent two-thirds of maternal and newborn deaths, thereby saving more than 4.3 million lives a year by 2035.

Wumi/Punch