The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Kaduna State chapter, on Monday, strictly warned members of the public against assaulting its members while carrying out their constitutional duties.
The Kaduna State chairman of the association, Ishaku Yakubu, disclosed this during the Quadrennial State Delegates Conference at Arewa House in Kaduna.
“We’ll defend our members against this menace, and anyone found assaulting any nurse anywhere will face the wrath of the association,” he said, noting that nurses have continued to face assaults from members of the public.
“Nurses are the critical engine of the health care system and the bedrock of any hospital in Nigeria; no hospital can flourish without a nurse or a midwife. They must be supported and encouraged at all levels,” he said.
While bemoaning that all levels of government pay no attention to nurses, he urged them to come out of their comfort zones and join political parties and make their presence known, not only in patient care but also in the political arena.
“Nurses are imminently qualified to hold any position in the government because they’re promoters of public health and advocate for policies geared towards the attainment of quality health care,” he stated.
The Kaduna State Commissioner for Health, represented by the Director of Administration and Finance of the ministry, Zakari Mohammed, noted that the State Executive Council, sometime last year, approved the replacement of 278 nurses.
The exercise, he said, was conducted in April 2023, and those employed have since been deployed across hospitals.
He further acknowledged that arrangements have been made to start paying their salaries at the end of this month.
