The Katsina State Council of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has declared the withdrawal of nurses and midwives working in the hospitals located along the Frontline and vulnerable areas in the state following the non compliance by the state government to provide security and increase their salaries.
The Chairman of the association, Nura Mu’azu made the declaration during a press briefing on Tuesday held at the State Council Secretariat with the title: “Health Worker You Are On Your Own”.
According to him, the threat is effective from Thursday 30th January 2025 by midnight until the needful is done.
The briefing is coming 14 days after gunmen abducted one of the association’s members, Nurse Yusuf Mai-Ruwa, a reportedly hardworking, skilled and vastly experienced professional in the State Health Sector.
Nurse Mairuwa was abducted while on duty at the General Hospital Kankara on Tuesday 15th January 2025.
The association, while demanding for immediate provision of 24/7 robust security in all the hospitals in the Frontline areas, said immediate measures must be put in place by the authorities to ensure the safe release of Nurse Mairuwa and other captives.
It also demanded immediate compensation to its members who were subjected to one loss or the other due to insecurity while on duty and better remunerations to attract more health workers for better healthcare delivery.
“Nurse Mai-Ruwa was taken unawares under the threat of Guns and taken away alongside other health workers to an unknown destination; their whereabouts and condition hitherto unknown.
“Nr. Mairuwa is a family man, with a wife and children whose means of livelihood, peace of mind and future were abruptly truncated. He falls victim while in the line of duty, and this has aggravated the fear in every health worker serving in the frontline and vulnerable areas as it has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that no healthcare worker is safe despite our immeasurable sacrifices to society and humanity.
“The situation has equally scratched the scar/wound that we all have from related cases such as the killing of our late colleague Nr. Murtala Isah Safana (working then with the General Hospital Dutsin-ma) was killed by Gunmen in 2022.
“The attack on Nr. Hamza Saleh (Registered Ophthalmic Nurse) while on his way to work around “Yan-Tumaki junction as a result of which he lost his right eye forever, and the abduction of the wife of one of our colleagues Nr. Mustafa Hamza who took food to him while he was on duty in General Hospital Kurfi, saved lives in the theatre as a Nurse Anaesthetist when unknown Gunmen attacked the hospital in November 2024, and he had to pay about N5m ransom to secure her release after disposing all his belongings and properties of their relations which left them impoverished as the salary is nothing to ride home about.
“Comrades, you can recall that we wrote formerly to the Katsina State Government through the Hospital Management Board and copied all the relevant offices of the Government on the 15th of January, 2025 and highlighted the need to provide security in the hospital facilities across the frontline and vulnerable axis of this state and gave the Government Two weeks to do that or risk withdrawal of our members from the hospitals in Batsari, Danmusa, Kankara, Jibia, Dutsin-ma, Musawa, Malumfashi, Funtua, and even Batagarawa (GARSH). Of course, the State Government has promised since then to do that within 3 days in the frontline areas and 7 days in the vulnerable areas.
“Unfortunately, even as the 2-week period is elapsing tomorrow no significant commitment is seen from the Government practically, and with the obvious implications on our members we can’t take this lightly because General Hospital Kankara was the second hospital that was attacked after General Hospital Kurfi which was attacked late last year where the victims were left on their own. So We Are Now On Our Own While On DUTY!
“Though we are not unmindful of the effort of the State Government and all other relevant stakeholders to combat insecurity in our dear state, as it is undeniable that the investment of this administration in security is indeed highly commendable and the result is obvious, however the need to do more is equally increasing especially to ensure the protection of our health facilities because insecurity, as it is today, is the biggest threat to humanity and human development.
“We are also aware of the investment of this Administration in health infrastructure across Katsina state and other achievements recorded so far, and for that, we commend His Excellency and his Administration. But one needs to be alive to save the lives of others, as one must be safe before he/she can care for others.
“We want the General Public to know that we are left with No Other Option as the troubling situation is not showing any sign of improvement. We have been calling for the provision of security in the hospitals for years. We are sure that the bad news of ransom demand on Nr. Mairuwa and other captives are all over social media in which N270m is being demanded for his release and another N270m for the other captives. Where on earth can his innocent family/relations get this kind of money when people are even struggling to put food on the table?
“How much is the salary of health workers in Katsina State to afford these unrealistic sums when many health professionals have to helplessly leave the service en masse on a daily basis for better remuneration elsewhere? How do you begin to imagine the level of his ordeal in captivity? What does the future hold for the family/children of Nr. Mairuwa, and that of the other captives? How do you convince anyone to stay in this kind of place and work?
“Let it be clear that as much as this decision is one of the most difficult we have ever made, as we have already made this huge sacrifice to serve you through healthcare delivery, we plead with you to reason and sympathize with our situation. While our Hazard allowance is just N5,000 monthly, we are receiving one of the lowest remuneration and inadequate welfare in Nigeria, amidst a chronic shortage of Manpower with just about 1,000 Nurses/Midwives in the employment of one of the leading populated states, always struggling to cope with overwhelming care demands as health workers are leaving the service to seek better remuneration where obtainable.
“Please, bear with the inconveniences this may cause and help us prevail on this Government to do the needful to save lives as the primary purpose of Governance is the security and welfare of citizens.”
The workers demands
The immediate provision of 24/7 robust security in all the hospitals in the aforementioned areas,
Immediate measures to ensure the safe release of Mairuwa and other captives as he was abducted while serving the government,
Immediate compensation to our members who were subjected to one loss or the other due to this insecurity while on duty as mentioned above.
Better remunerations to attract more health workers for better healthcare delivery.
They also appealed to the abductors of Mairuwa and other colleagues to release them unhurt.
