The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Federal Health Institutions Sector (NANNM-FHI), has dismissed reports claiming that it has called off its ongoing seven-day nationwide warning strike.
In a statement on Friday, the association’s National Public Relations Officer, Omomo Tibiebi, clarified that the industrial action, which commenced on Wednesday, is still ongoing despite a meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, earlier in the day.
Tibiebi stated, “The strike has not been suspended. Earlier today, the NANNM executives had a meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, and it was the minister that went to press to say the strike was called-off.
“He wasn’t the one that called the strike in the first place, so he has no right to call off the strike. So, the strike is still on.”
The nurses had embarked on the strike to push for several long-standing demands, which include the upward review of shift allowance, adjustment of uniform allowance, a separate salary structure for nurses, increase in core duty allowance, mass recruitment of nurses, and the establishment of a nursing department in the Federal Ministry of Health, among other issues.
Tibiebi further disclosed that the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) would convene on Saturday to review the Federal Government’s commitments and make a formal decision.
“There will be a National Executive Council meeting by tomorrow (Saturday), and that’s when a decision will be made, and we would know if what the Federal Government has promised is good enough for us to suspend the strike,” he said.
Meanwhile, hospitals across the country continue to suffer the consequences of the ongoing strike. With nurses unavailable, medical services have been severely disrupted. Patients are facing delayed treatments, with some discharged prematurely due to a shortage of staff. Many wards remain empty, and while some departments are providing skeletal services, others have completely shut down.
