Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo has commissioned the Secretariat of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Anambra State Council.
Situated at Inezu Estate after New Jerusalem Hotel Awka, the Nurses’ Secretariat in Anambra State has 10 offices, one conference hall and one multi-purpose hall.
Commissioning the edifice in Awka, Governor Soludo tasked the nurses to strictly embrace work ethics of punctuality and care for the sick.
He noted the state is expecting more from the healthcare workers, stressing that gone are the days when the state spend billions of naira for job recruitment but the person will prefer to be in his private clinic instead of serving the poor masses.
Represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, Governor Soludo announced that as long as he has recruited 300 nurses in primary healthcare, the nurses must be heading primary healthcare centres in the state except where there is a doctor, believing that they have the capacity to deliver.
“The state is doing free antenatal and delivery services thereby increasing the number of deliveries in healthcare facilities by 100%.
“Soludo loves nurses so much, hence employed 500 nurses for the first time in the history of the state. By this, we are also expecting more from our people in terms of attitude and presence to work in order to have improvement in the healthcare sector.
“Our people think that employment is government job, that would make one not to be coming to work. Soludo’s administration invested much in healthcare delivery that is why we have not only recruited more workers but ensure training and retraining of our healthcare workers,” so concluded the Governor.
Also speaking, the President, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Nurse Michael Nnachi advised Nurses and Midwives in Anambra State to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, compassion and integrity in discharging their duties of caring for the sick.
He urged them to utilise the new Secretariat as a space for collaboration, learning and networking geared towards enhancing a healthier nation for all and advancing nursing and midwivery practice in Nigeria.
Earlier, the State Chairman of the association, Comrade Edith Onwuka appealed the Governor to address the stagnation of single qualified Nurses and Midwives in CONHESS 7 while implementing National harmonized scheme of service for Nurses and University graduate Nurses in the state, which was gazetted by Office of head of service of federation in 2021.
“Please Mr Governor kindly address the non implementation of 25% increase in CONHESS by National income, salary and wages commission, non Implementation of 2016 unified scheme of service for Nurses and promotion of single qualified Nurses to Conhess 10 as done in other states.
“There is urgent need to implement the 25% increase in consolidated health salary structure (Conhess) gazetted in 2022 by national salaries, income and wages commission as well as placement and recognition of the officer “nomenclature to all categories/grades in nursing.
“Appointment of nurses and midwives into political position in the state and donation of vehicle/bus for day-to-day running of the association,” said the Nurses chairman in Anambra State.
Mrs Onwuka noted that addressing the above demands will curb the incessant migration of experienced nurses outside the state, popularly called JAKPA syndrome leads to brain drain. According to her, most of the issue raised by the association, borders on career progression issues.
Comrade Onwuka however commended Governor Soludo for his achievements in the health sector including approval for building of world class College of Nursing Sciences in Ekwulobia for training of highly skilled Nurses, establishment of Nursing and Midwifery Council office in Anambra State, Employment of 500 Nurses and midwives into General hospitals and primary healthcare centres and outstanding performances of student Nurses across all the departments of Nursing and colleges in their final examination.
Anambra nurses later crowned Governor Soludo as Ambassador of Nursing Services in the state in recognition of his love for nurses and numerous achievements in delivering quality health care services in Anambra state.
Present at the official opening of the Anambra Nurses Secretariat were the former Commissioner for Health and current Chief Medical Director, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Amaku Awka, Dr Joe Akabuike; Director Nursing Services, Anambra State Ministry of Health, Mrs Perpetual Anene; General Secretary NANNM, Dr T. A Shettima; Chairman of the Occasion, Engr Nrs Edwin Onuorah; State Chairman, Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Humphrey Nwafor and other affiliate unions of NLC like Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Awka Zone; Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Anambra State Council; among others, were all represented.
Cultural Display by nursing students and official opening of the Nurses House formed the highlights of the event.###
