By Ado Hassan, Sokoto
THE National President of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives(NANNM), Mr Adeniji Abdulrafiu has tasked members of the body to be more professional and exhibit high standards in delivering health services to the public.
Similarly, he emphasized the urgent and necessary need for training and retraining of members in the profession to reflect modern approach to discharging services to patients and the general public.
Speaking Sunday at the opening of the 2019 One day Induction/Inaugural course for the Sokoto state Coubcil newly elected Executives, Abdulrafiu noted that nurses occupy a central position in the medical services profession in discharging duties to the public.
According the association’s top Official who was represented by its National Auditor, Mr Haruna Mandabs” we need to set and improve standards in service delivery.
” We must be working together with doctors professionally to achieve the fundamental goals and objectives of the health and medical workers”, he called.
Mandabs who explained that the Nursing profession was built on 4 pillars of service relations; patient, co- worker, public and the profession itself said professionals have he duty to discourage wrong perception and develop proper flow of communication and information to the public.
” The public should understand you in the course of duty by creating avenue that will strengthen knowledge on the best practice as it relates to patients and the general public.”
Declaring, the course open, Dr. Buhari Bello Kware, the Sokoto state Head of Service and Chairman of the occasion, noted that Nurses and Midwives were naturally humane and reasonable above other classes of employees any where in the world.
” Their responsibilities are God given in the aspect of the profession without commensurate rewards.”
However, Kware disclosed that the state government had set up a committee to look into the immediate and remote problems in the health sector especially on the salaries and welfare of health and medical workers.
According to him” we will soon address the disparity issue on salaries of health workers inorder to reflect best practices implementation.”
The HoS further stressed the for members of the profession to also dedicate themselves and be alive to their responsibilities of serving humanity in view of the sensitivity of their rile as ‘life savers’.
He observed that the state was experiencing mass exodus of professionals in health and medical lines even as it operates automatic employment policy for students on admission for nurses and midwifery courses.
” Many are concerned about the salaries instead of been patriotic. This is why our current budget has made adequate provision to bridge the disparity of salaries and other emulments in the health sector inorder to discourage especially the exodus of our indigenes to other medical organs paying higher.
” We spend to train them but we don’t get commensurate results as pay back. It is sad an experience to notice that in short time, they quit our service to where they get higher pay. But all these will soon be over”, he assured.
Earlier, the state chairman, Comrade Abubakar Shehu urged members of the professional body to continue to further their education, embrace and exhibit the culture of discipline by reversing the lost glory of the profession.
He pointed out that doing so would strengthen and elevate the standard of the profession.
According to Shehu, ” it is most unfortunate and shocking to allow ugly circumstances to dwindle and cause distress to our noble profession as experienced in recent past.
” We have so become spiritually in tune to neglect
the ethics of the profession. We must learn to treat our patients with courtesy and respect. Treat human beings in such a way and manner you will wish to be treated”, he stressed.
He decried the lack of attention given nurses and midwives by government in terms of encouraging their education.
” For quite a number of years, the profession has suffered a lot, as government only encourage and support medical profession to pursue higher education, thereby, neglecting other health professions particularly nursing profession”, he noted.
While noting that the disparity in salary of medical personnel and other health professionals was enormous, Comrade Shehu said it has brewed disturbing industrial harmony in the sector.
” We are not agitating equal salary since we have two separate salary tables COMESS and CONHESS. Our expectation is that whenever government reviews salary should be across board.
Also, an acting Asst. Nursing Superintendent ofvthe Military hospital Sokoto, Major Shiitu Saheed Oyakanmi has urged members in the profession to be committed to strengthen the beauty of the profession.
” Nurses and Midwives are more practically better than other health and medical professionals.”
While stressing the need for continued training of nurses and midwives” let merit, standard and discipline not be down played. Entry point for admission must be on merit to encourage standards and responsive services to humanity”, he stated.
Hadiza Galadima, Director Nursing Service in the state Ministry for Health, underscored the relevance of nurses and midwives particularly at the unit levels to be encourage to sustain the tempo of discharging standard services including proper record keeping as well attitudinal change and behaviour to patients and the public.
She assured of the ministry’s continued collaboration with relevant stakeholders in promoting proper nursing services in the state through effective and efficient work plan.
