Nurses and midwives at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) have joined the ongoing seven-day warning strike declared by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).
The industrial action, which commenced today, proceeds despite appeals from the Federal Government urging restraint.
Chairperson of NANNM at UPTH, Madonna Wichendu, told our correspondent that the strike could significantly affect patient care, including the possible transfer of some patients to private facilities. She noted that while the UPTH nurses had not initially anticipated participating in the strike, they were left with no choice but to join in solidarity to press home their demands.
The union is demanding an upward review of shift allowances, adjustment of uniform allowances, the implementation of a separate salary structure for nurses, increased core duty allowance, mass employment of nurses, and the establishment of a dedicated department for nursing within the Federal Ministry of Health.
