The Anambra Nurses Voices, under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Anambra chapter has decried the poor working conditions of their members in Anambra state hospitals and health centers.
Speaking during an interactive forum held at the Nurses house building at okpuno, Awka, the aggrieved Nurses poured their hearts amid tears.
According to them, they had consistently complained of the disparities in the salary payment structure, CONHESS, obtained in Anambra state against other neighboring states. “we have never been paid more than 60% of our salary, even with the current minimum wage increment,” they expressed. They expressed dissatisfaction that Anambra state government has been using the 2003 civil service rule exclusively for the state Nurses and career stagnation for Nurses with single qualification.
The aggrieved Nurses went on to list other grievances bothering on promotion stagnation, decayed infrastructures in some of the health centers and hospitals across the state, poor working environment, severe shortage of staff which leads to work overload, backlog of unpaid promotion arrears amongst others.
One of the Nurses who pleaded anonymity hinted that in her place of work, over 80 patients were made to be in a ward originally meant for 20 bed space, making it so difficult for the health workers to operate in such an environment. Till date, their hazard allowance still remains 3,000 naira as against 30,000 naira that’s the statutory amount to be paid, she lamented.
The group of Nurses hinted that they had written through their lawyer to the main body, NANNM, Anambra chapter, seeking to be heard which prompted the state chairperson of NANNM, Comrade Onwuka Edith to raise a memo.
Below is the letter written by their lawyer to NANNM.
The above letter was greeted with a memo from the chairperson, Comrade Onwuka Edith, on behalf of the association, issuing a 15day ultimatum for a possible strike action which elapsed on January 6th, 2025.
The Nurses expressed disappointment from their apex leadership that upon the expiration of the said ultimatum, they never heard anything positive from them aside another ultimatum without a deadline.
The group of Nurses beg the state government through the Commissioner for health to listen to their cry for help and come to their rescue as their bizarre working conditions keep getting worse by the day.
However, the state chairperson of NANNM, Comrade Onwuka Edith who later joined the aggrieved Nurses at the meeting pleaded with them to exercise some patience as processes for them to have some meaningful meeting with the appropriate departments in the state government are already in the pipeline.
She however stated that she’s been working hard to convey their grievances to the state government which has unfortunately yielded no result.
Hopefully, this would have a positive outcome, she reaffirmed.
