The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Ondo State chapter, has called on the state government to set machinery in motion for urgent employment of more nurses into hospitals across the 18 local government areas of the state.

 

The association said there was a need for recruiting fresh nurses to fill the gap created by retiring health officers and those leaving for greener pastures home and abroad, adding that shortage of nurses was a bad development to the health sector of the state.

The new state Chairman of the NANNM, Mr Kehinde Nomiye, stated this at the delegates conference of the association, held at the Nurses’ House, Igbatoro Road, Akure , the state capital, on Friday. Nomiye also lamented that various government’s health facilities in the state were currently in need of nurses and midwives, considering the volume of patients seeking medical services in the state.

 

He said, “It is obvious that our members are being overworked due to shortage of nursing personnel. The way nurses are retiring from the service needs to be addressed with fresh hands.

 

“Although the state government has been complaining of lack of resources to meet wage bill, we hope something will be done about this soonest. The governor is trying his best for the health sector and workers generally in the state by paying salaries regularly.”

 

The NANNM chairman who vowed to run an inclusive administration that would defend interest of his members, appealed to the governor to look into various demands of the association in the state for smooth service delivery at various medical facilities of the government.

 

Nomiye also urged the state government to domesticate the unified scheme of service for nurses to enable members of the profession attain the peak of their career.