The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) chapter, on Wednesday, said that members would continue their on-going indefinite strike “until our demands are met”.
Mrs Yemisi Adelaja, the association’s Chairperson, told newsmen in Lagos that the management of the institution had yet to dialogue with them.
According to her, the nurses are ready to discuss with management if the Chief Medical Director (CMD) will be present at the meeting.
“After a long period of silence, the management invited the executives of the association for discussion via an impromptu text message.
“We honoured the meeting because of the love we have for our patients and the institution where we work; but the CMD refused to be present at the meeting.
“The CMD has never been physically present in any meeting with the aggrieved nurses so far.
“We exhausted all the ultimatums as stipulated by the labour law; we reviewed it again as ordered by State chapter of NANNM, but all were taken for granted by the CMD and his management team.’’
Adelaja said that they had shown passion and dedication to their duties by working under harsh conditions.
“As LUTH nurses, we have the interest of our patients paramount in our hearts, in spite of the limited resources in the hospital.
“We improvise virtually everything in the hospital, especially at night, using all manners of lighting devices in the dark wards and units of LUTH.’’
Adelaja also noted that LUTH management did not present the issues at hand to the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) properly for necessary action.
“The management took this crisis with levity and this has given other healthcare providers room to go about their personal private practice.
“Instead of the management seeking lasting solution, they went about making propagandas on print, radio, TV and social media,’’ she said.
Also speaking, Mr Olurotimi Awojide, the Lagos State Chairman of NANNM, said that LUTH’s management had also denied some of their colleagues of their deserved promotion from on CONHESS 12 to 13 (ACNO – CNO).
On the Industrial Court’s judgement on SKIPPING of 2012, he said that LUTH management refused to obey the judgment that stated that nurses are professionals.
Reacting to the development, Dr Olufemi Fasanmade , Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC),LUTH, said that the management had used the strategy of dialogue and lobbying to address the demands of the nurses.
“LUTH’s management continues to dialogue with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), to take yet another look at this national issue.
“If perhaps, other institutions were treated differently last year, our nurses’ plight may be reviewed.
“The Ministry has promised to come out soon with a holistic response on this matter and until then, we implore the aggrieved parties to sheath their swords.
“The Ministry of Labour and Productivity has mediated at a number of meetings, persuading the association to resume work, while dialogue continues; but, this has proved abortive,’’ Fasanmade said.
In some of the wards, few patients were seen being attended to as manpower had greatly reduced due to the strike embarked upon by the nurses.
The strike had also compelled some relatives to evacuate their loved ones to alternative hospitals.
