The Katsina State Council of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) on Tuesday declared the withdrawal of nurses and midwives working in the hospitals located along the Frontline and vulnerable areas in the state.
The Chairman of the association, Nura Mu’azu made the declaration during a press briefing held at the State Council Secretariat with the title: “Health Worker You Are On Your Own”.
According to him, the threat is effective from Thursday 30th January 2025 by midnight until the needful is done.
The briefing is coming 14 days after gunmen abducted one of the association’s members, Nurse Yusuf Mai-Ruwa, a most hardworking, skilled and vastly experienced professional in the State Health Sector.
Nurse Mairuwa was abducted while patriotically on duty at the General Hospital Kankara on Tuesday 15th January 2025 while in the line of duty.
“Nurse Mai-Ruwa was taken unawares under the threat of Guns and taken away alongside other health workers to an unknown destination; their whereabouts and condition hitherto unknown.
“The situation has equally scratched the scar/wound that we all have from related cases such as the killing of our late colleague Mr. Murtala Isah Safana (working then with the General Hospital Dutsin-ma) was killed by Gunmen in 2022.
“Comrades, you can recall that we wrote formerly to the Katsina State Government through the Hospital Management Board and copied all the relevant offices of the Government on the 15th of January, 2025 and highlighted the need to provide security in the hospital facilities across the frontline and vulnerable axis of this state and 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 (GARSH). Of course, the State Government has promised since then to do that within 3 days in the frontline areas and 7 days in the vulnerable areas.
“Unfortunately, even as the 2-week period is elapsing tomorrow no significant commitment is seen from the Government practically, 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 General Hospital Kurfi which was attacked late last year where the victims were left on their own. So We Are Now On Our Own While On DUTY!
The workers are demanding the immediate provision of 24/7 robust security in all the hospitals in the aforementioned areas, and immediate measures (whatever it takes) to ensure the safe release of Mairuwa (and other captives) as he was abducted while serving the government, and immediate compensation to our members who were subjected to one loss or the other due to this insecurity while on duty.
Other demands include; better remunerations to attract more health workers for better healthcare delivery.
“We are therefore withdrawing our members from the aforementioned facilities effective from Thursday 30″ January 2025 by midnight until the needful is done”, the group added.
They also appealed to the abductors of Mairuwa and other colleagues to release them unhurt.
