FG To Address Nurses’ Concerns On New Verification Guidelines

The Federal Government has promised to address the concerns of members of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives in the country.

The Special Adviser to the President on Health Matters, Salma Anas-Ibrahim, said this on Tuesday at a press briefing in Abuja while speaking on the state of healthcare, maternal and child health in the country.

Nurses, under the aegis of NANNM, protested on Monday at the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria’s offices in Abuja and Lagos to express their displeasure over what they described as an attempt to hinder their freedom to pursue career opportunities, asking the council to address nurses’ welfare, salary scale, shortage of staff, and other rights.

NMCN, in its revised guidelines, stated that applicants seeking verification of certificates from foreign nursing boards and councils must possess two years of post-qualification experience from the date of issuance of the permanent practicing license.

Anas-Ibrahim, however, said the government will address the concerns of the nurses and midwives in the country.

She said, “Nurses are the faces of the health facilities, because when you enter a healthcare facility, it is the nurse or midwife that does so much for you, and they spend more time with our patients than any other person.

“So, they are very important to us and very critical in terms of nursing care and the delivery of health care, even when there are no doctors. We do recognise their contributions to healthcare development in Nigeria.

“Tinubu is committed to improving the working environment and welfare of healthcare workers in the country.

“A lot of issues are coming in from different disciplines of hospitals, not only in the nursing profession but across the board.

“We are committed to this administration, and it is part of the priorities under human resources issues. One area we want to address in creating an enabling environment is also the issue of rivalry.

“We are working assiduously to address all the conflict issues and all the areas that will motivate our nurses, midwives, and all other health workers at the same time.

“We are on top of the game, and we are going to resolve all the issues and ensure that we retain the nurses and midwives.”