The National President of the National association of nigeria nurses and midwives has called for the recognition and immortalization of all health professionals who in the cause of saving lives during the ebola crisis became infected and died. 

 

The National president made this declaration in a press statement titled "THE NIGERIAN NURSE: AN ENDANGERED SPECIE" and made available to Nursingworld Nigeria by a NANNM Contact person where he bemoaned the media pronouncement, attention and publicity given to the DOCTOR that died due to Ebola Virus disease without much attention paid to the nurses and others. Insisting that NO NIGERIAN LIFE IS MORE IMPORTANT THANT THE OTHER.

 

He added that this recognition and immortalization must not be restricted to the late DOCTOR considering the fact that nurses are more exposed than others health professionals when it requires barrier nursing for any infectious condition and not only in Ebola virus disease.

 

Nurse Abdulrafiu Adeniji highlighted the hazardous central role of the Nigerian nurse who is put at risk of being infected in the process of caregiving. According to him "Nurses in Nigeria are very sad and disheartened that some of our members eg. Late miss justina Obioma Ejelonu a graduate nurse form Ebonyi state university who worked in a hospital in lagos and had her first day at work has become the first nigerian victim of the ebola virus. A second victim of ebola virus disease death has been recorded among nurses. OUr hearts go to the families of the late nurses. In fact, the deaths of the two nurses bring to light the hazardous nature of the nursing profession in nigeria, it is sad to say nurses hava always been victims of so many hemorrhagic, communicable and other contagious disease, as nurses are the first or primary contact. They remain 24 hours with the patients in the wards, and are susceptible to all kind of infections. Therefore, the urgent ned for governemtns, be it federal, states or local governemtns to intensify efforts at protecting and adequately providing the nigerian nurse with standard personal protective equipment and must be made available to nurses and health workers in all hospitals to avoid more casaualties.

 

The leadersship of NANNM appreciated the efforts of the lagos state government for the remuneration and motivation of nurses and health workers who are currently at the forefront of the treatment of Ebola virus disease patients in the state.