Some registered nurses in Rivers State on Tuesday stormed the Government House, Port Harcourt, the state capital, protesting against the new circular on certificate verification by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
Also, the nurses said the new guidelines verification violates their fundamental human rights.
On February 7, 2024, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria issued a circular revising the guidelines for requesting verification of certificates for nurses and midwives across the country.
According to the council, individuals who wish to have their certificates verified by foreign nursing boards and councils must have at least two years of post-qualification experience starting from the day they receive their permanent practicing license.
These updated guidelines took effect on March 1, 2024. https://punchng.com/nannm-vows-to-address-nurses-concerns-on-new-guidelines/
The protesters numbering about 20 also demanded better pay and called for an end to quackery in the profession which they said was giving them a bad image.
The nurses who had gathered at Isaac Boro Park in the metropolis, marched to the State Ministry of Health where they presented a letter containing their position before proceeding to the Government House, Port Harcourt where the same missive was presented.
Speaking to newsmen during the protest, one of the protesting nurses, Victoria Onuoha, said the new guidelines violate their freedom of movement and educational pursuits.
Onuoha stated, “It is unfair. It is standing against our basic human rights because not only does it stop our freedom of movement as Nurses it also inhibits our education processes because now we are not just able to travel out to work.
“But both those that want to further their studies, because furthering our education is exposure to new medical procedures and everything.
“We can’t even do that and that is a big loss to us. So we are at the Government House to call on His Excellency to help speak on our behalf.” adding that revised guidelines may expose female Nurses to various kinds of harassment.
Another registered nurse, Juliet Chujor, said the Nursing and Midwifery Council should look into the issue of quacks which she said makes it difficult to get a well-paid job.
“This situation of letter of good standing, most Nigerian Nurses are females. So, putting us in that kind of position predisposes us to a whole lot of harassment.
“It is not all about just getting jobs abroad. You need to study to upgrade yourself. There are a lot of quackery going on in the country; even in our state, and it has made nurses now you can’t get a well-paid job.
“You see Nurses are at the mercy of private Hospitals, they will tell you N35,000 because they know they can get it at a cheaper rate. It is not good for the patients we are taking care of. So we want the Nursing and Midwifery Council to see into stopping all unnecessary quackery, they call them auxiliary nurses. It is wrong,” said Chujor.
Our correspondent reports that other demands put forward by the nurses as side opposition to the new certificate guidelines, include improved wages, allowances and welfare packages, extending the retirement age of Nurses from 60 to 65, safeguarding Nurses and Midwives against workplace violence among others.
