Murakiyo Olajide, the National Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM)'s Federal Health Institutions sector, has refuted claims that the union has suspended its ongoing nationwide strike.
Following a meeting behind closed doors with Muhammad Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, several media outlets reported on Friday that nurses had agreed to suspend the strike. In an interview with GLOBALGISTZNG, Mr. Olajide asserted that the union has not decided to suspend the strike and called the reports "false."
It is not accurate. When we begin or end a strike, we follow established procedures. He stated, "The union has not issued any statement to the effect that those procedures have been followed.
" Mr. Olajide made the observation that, despite the fact that a meeting with government officials was held earlier in the day, union leaders are still conducting extensive consultations with a number of subgroups before making a decision.
We are expected to meet with our subgroups again after today's meeting, and then report back to the government with our position,” he added.
Joe Akipi, Chairperson of NANNM at the National Hospital, Abuja, also told GLOBALGISTZNG that the strike has not been suspended, supporting Mr. Olajide's position. We were not instructed to go on strike, and we will not call it off unless instructed to do so by our union leaders. The information that is being disseminated is false.
In a voice message, she stated, "We have not received any official communication from our national leadership." The two officials said that the strike was still going on as of Friday evening. Impact of the strike, field observations GLOBALGISTZNG examined the impact of the strike by visiting a number of public hospitals in Abuja and Lagos over the course of the week.
Across multiple facilities, outpatient units were shut, with reports of cancelled or rescheduled appointments, and patients turned away due to reduced staffing.
In some hospitals, nurses who remained on call claimed that they were only dealing with critical cases, while in others, basic services were managed by skeletal or locum staff. Patients expressed dissatisfaction due to the uncertainty and disruptions in their healthcare.
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