By Abbas Bamalli
THE KATSINA State Chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), has announced the withdrawal of services across frontline LGA of the state.
Comrade Nura Mu’azu, the state chairman of NANNM, made the announcement while briefing newsmen in Katsina on Tuesday, citing attack and abduction of a member of NANNM.
“It’s with deep sorrow and bleeding heart that we address you today, being the 14th day since the abduction of our innocent member, Mr Yusuf Mohammed-Mairuwa.
“He’s one of the most hardworking, skilled and vastly experienced professionals in Katsina State health sector. He was abducted while on duty saving lives at General Hospital, Kankara, on Jan. 15, 2025.
“He was taken unawares under the threat of guns and taken away alongside other health workers to an unknown destination, and their whereabouts and conditions remained unknown.
“He fell victim while in line of duty, and this has aggravated the fear in every health worker serving in the frontline and vulnerable areas,” Mu’azu said.
Mu’azu said that the development had proven beyond any reasonable doubt that no healthcare worker is safe despite their immeasurable sacrifices to society and humanity.
He stated that, “the situation has equally scratched the scar/wound that we all have from related cases such as the killing of our late colleague, Murtala Isah Safana, working then with the General Hospital Dutsin-ma.
“He was killed by gunmen in 2022, and the attack on Hamza Saleh (Registered Ophthalmic Nurse) while on his way to Work around Yan-Tumaki junction, as a result of which he lost his right eye forever.
“And also, the abduction of the wife of one of our colleagues, Mustafa Hamza, who took food to him while he was on duty at General Hospital Kurfi, where he had to sell his properties and pay N5 million ransom.”
He further recalled that the association had written formally to the state government through the Hospital Management Board and copied all the relevant offices, highlighting the need to provide security in the hospital facilities across the frontline and vulnerable areas.
Mu’azu explained that, “We gave the government two weeks to do that or risk withdrawal of our members from the hospitals in Batsari, Danmusa, Kankara, Jibia, Dutsin-ma, Musawa, Malumfashi, Funtua, and even Batagarawa.
“Of course, the state government has promised since then to do that within three days in the frontline areas and within seven days in the vulnerable areas.
“Unfortunately, even as the two weeks period is elapsing on Wednesday, no significant practical commitment is seen from the government, and with the obvious implications on our members we can’t take this lightly.
“Because General Hospital, Kankara, was the second hospital that was attacked after that of Kurfi, where the victims were left on their own. So, we are now on our own while on duty.”
He, however, said that the union is not unmindful of the effort of the state government and other stakeholders to combat insecurity in the state, noting that the need to do more is equally increasing, especially to ensure the protection of health facilities.
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“We want the general public to know that we are left with no other option as the troubling situation is not showing any sign of improvement. We have been calling for provision of security in the hospitals for years.
“We are sure that the bad news of ransom demand on our abducted colleagues, is all over the social media in which about N540 million is being demanded for their release.
“Where on earth can innocent families/relations get this kind of money when people are even struggling to put food on the table?
“How much is the salary of health workers in the state to afford these unrealistic sums when many health professionals have to helplessly leave the service en masse on daily basis for better remunerations elsewhere?” he asked.
He listed part of the demands of the union as the immediate provision of 24/7 robust security in all the hospitals in the aforementioned areas, and immediate measures to ensure the safe release of their colleague and other captives.
The association also demanded the immediate compensation to their members who were subjected to one loss or the other, due to this insecurity situation while on duty.
“We are also demanding better remuneration to attract more health workers for better healthcare delivery.
“Therefore, we are withdrawing our members from the aforementioned facilities effective from Jan. 30, 2025, until the needful is done,” the association declared. (NAN)
