Congress of Health Workers Unions and Association in Kaduna State has threatened to embark on strike if by Friday 30th April 2021, kidnapped health workers are not rescued and armed security personnel drafted to man all health facilities in the state.
The Congress which includes Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Nurses and Midwives Associations and Medical and Health Workers Union among others took the decision on Saturday at the end of an emergency extra-ordinary meeting on the state of security at health facilities in the State.
A communique, which was jointly signed by Representatives of the various medical and health workers Unions, lamented that, abduction of the two nurses from a state own hospital, is an indication that the “life saver’s life is not safe” in Kaduna State.
According to the communique, “We observed with great sadness the state of insecurity in the State, this follows the abduction of two (2) Health workers at Rural Hospital Idon, Kajuru LGA of Kaduna State on Thursday, 22nd April 2021. “It is very unfortunate that the life saver’s life is not safe” in Kaduna State.
“That Hospitals/Clinics in the State are not well secured, being that they are manned by poorly motivated and under trained private security personnel and had not been paid for over a year, they are insufficient and not equipped to handle the situation of insecurity,” it observed.
That the state government “immediately deploy armed Security personnel in all our facilities and other possible targets to ensure that health care workers are adequately protected in order to provide the continuum of health care services to all residents of the State as and when needed.
“We equally call on the State Government and all the relevant security agencies to do all in her powers to ensure that our abducted colleagues return to their families safe to boost the confidence of the demoralized Health care Workers in the State.
“Government should gather the best technical support and mobilize the necessary resources for effective and timely implementation of measures that protect the health care workers, the patients and their caregivers.
“Security is everybody’s responsibility, so every health worker needs to be extra cautious, however, the Government should take responsibility to safe guard the health care workers.
“If the above resolutions 1 and 2 (rescue of abducted nurses and deployment of armed security in health facilities) are not met within five (5) working days, we will be left with no choice but to down tool.
“As Health Workers we must apply the principle of “injury to one is injury to all” and the Government must note with all sense of responsibility that SECURITY FOR ALL HEALTH WORKERS is SACROSANCT.
While lamenting what it called, the shocking retrenchment and conversion of health workers to casuals by the Kaduna State Government, the Congress said, “we seek immediate restoration of the retrenched health workers in the state.”
HERE UNDER IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE COMMUNIQUE AS SIGNED BY; NMA Kaduna State branch Chairman, Dr Aliyu SOKOMBA, President of ARD Kaduna, Dr Umar Musa, rep of Chairman Medical and health workers Union Abdullahi Muhammad and Secretary of NANNM Comr. Mrs Christiana John Bawa.
A COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE EMERGENCY MEETING OF CONGRESS OF HEALTH WORKERS UNIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS KADUNA STATE, ON THE CURRENT STATE OF INSECURITY AT OUR HEALTH FACILITIES, HELD AT NANNM SECRETARIAT COMPLEX KADUNA ON SATURDAY 24TH APRIL 2021
PREAMBLE
The above forum which comprises of different health Unions and Associations in the state, held an emergency extra-ordinary meeting on the state of insecurity in Kaduna state as it affects our professional duties on the provision of essential health services delivery to the residence of the state, this was necessitated by the recent kidnapped of two (2) health workers. There is a long relationship between the intersections of health and security, as established in the WHO Constitution of 1946, “the health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security and is dependent upon the fullest cooperation of individuals and States.”
OBSERVATIONS
We observed with great sadness the state of insecurity in the State, this follows the abduction of two (2) Health workers at Rural Hospital Idon, Kajuru LGA of Kaduna State on Thursday, 22nd April 2021. “It is very unfortunate that the life saver’s life is not safe” in Kaduna State.
That Hospitals/Clinics in the State are not well secured, being that they are manned by poorly motivated and under trained private security personnel and had not been paid for over a year, they are insufficient and not equipped to handle the situation of insecurity.
There is a change in tactics of the Bandits, we are fully aware and it is meant to cause panic by attacking soft target such as our hospitals.
Lack of proper lightening and fencing in our Government health facilities.
The shocking retrenchment and conversion of health workers to casual by the Kaduna State Government.
RESOLUTIONS
We strongly condemned the general state of insecurity in Kaduna State.
The State Government should immediately deploy armed Security personnel in all our facilities and other possible targets to ensure that health care workers are adequately protected in order to provide the continuum of health care services to all residents of the State as and when needed.
We equally call on the State Government and all the relevant security agencies to do all in her powers to ensure that our captive colleagues return to their families safe to boost the confidence of the demoralized Health care Workers in the State.
We are not oblivious of our sacrifice in this trying time in our LGAs, State and Nation, as such we need a more secured state that is ready and prepared to respond collectively in the face of regional threats to health security through regional partnerships that bring together all affected States and Stakeholders in all relevant sectors,
Government should gather the best technical support and mobilize the necessary resources for effective and timely implementation of measures that protect the health care workers, the patients and their caregivers.
Immediate restoration of the retrenched health workers in the state.
Security is every body’s responsibility, so every health worker needs to be extra cautious, however, the Government should take responsibility to safe guard the health care workers.
If the above resolutions 1 and 2 are not met within five (5) working days, we will be left with no choice but to down tool.
Once again, we wish to appeal to the State Government to improve security and surveillance at all health facilities in the state to protect health workers, where such is lacking we would recommend closure of such facilities until the Government can provide such. As Health Workers we must apply the principle of “injury to one is injury to all” and the Government must note with all sense of responsibility that
SECURITY FOR ALL HEALTH WORKERS is SACROSANCT.
Finally, We will like to reaffirm to you that the Congress of Health Workers Unions and Associations and all Health workers in the State are fully committed to uninterrupted services in all the health facilities provided our security is guaranteed and other concerns taken into account.
Long live Congress of Health Workers Unions and Associations,
Long Live Kaduna State
Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria
