Doctors strike unethical, selfish, say nurses, midwives

By Doyin Ojosipe

The General Secretary, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Yusuf Badmus, has advised  the Federal Government to call the striking Doctors to order as the reasons behind their incessant strikes are  in-genuine, unethical and selfish.

Badmus, in a statement, has also urged the federal government to stop all government employed Doctors from establishing private hospitals; while working under it. He alleged that the striking doctors have only succeeded in forcing poor patients into patronising their private hospitals, while the helpless ones are left to suffer.

He further accused the doctors of resorting to blackmail, in order to stop the government from implementing agreements and memorandum of understanding reached between JOHESU/APHA since 2009.

The association also advised the government to have a rethink on the preferential treatment given to doctors over other health workers as that has been the remote cause of unhealthy rivalry in the health sector.

The association added that “this will go a long way in checking and preventing unhealthy rivalry and end the incessant strike actions that leave the innocent patient suffering.”

The nurses further insisted that all government health workers should have a unified salary scale, and that the difference should only be at the entry and exit point, including professional and peculiar allowances of different cadres of workers.

According to the association, “The government should have a rethink on the undue attention it gives to doctors and do what is right. The government should revert to the era when administrators administered the hospitals/health facilities while health professionals, including doctors do their professional duties that they are being paid for.”

The Nurses have also urged patient to still patronise the government hospitals and shun the absence of the doctors as other specialised health workers could attend to them.

They said , “other health professionals such as skilled midwives, the accident and emergency (A & E) nurses, intensive care nurses, orthopaedic nurses paediatric nurses, including the medical laboratory scientists, medical record officers, the radiographers, the physiotherapists and pharmacists, are on ground to attend to their health needs, even when the medical practitioners embark on their selfish and illegal strike.”