The Kaduna State Commissioner for Health, Hajia Umma Ahmed, has been told that nurses and midwives in the state were abandoning the hospitals for lack of proper welfare package.

The Chairman, Nurses and Midwives Kaduna State Chapter, Comr. Ishaku Yakubu, made the disclosure on Saturday during the Nurses and Midwives Annual General Meeting, which was held at the Asaa Pyramid Hotel in Kaduna.

According to Yakubu, “Kaduna State is one of the states that pay poor salaries to nurses…

“To stop this, the state must improve on the welfare of nurses in the state for effective health care delivery.”

However, he commended the Kaduna State Governor for his pledge to revamp six General Hospitals in the state while calling for the recruitment of more nurses and midwives across the state.

Responding, Umma reiterated the commitment of the State Government to support the Kada Nurses and Midwives Empowerment Initiative scheme.

Umma said aside from being pleased to see the emphasis that the Kada Nurses and Midwives Multi-purpose Cooperative Society places on empowerment and solidarity among its members, she noted that

“Cooperatives like this play a crucial role in fostering collaboration, sharing knowledge, and supporting one another in times of need by pulling resources and working together which not only enhances livelihood but also strengthens the fabric of the healthcare system as a whole.”

Continuing, she stressed that the “End-well schemes are key as we see them in other states,” stressing that the scheme has been sustained in Niger State until you exit service.”

“You need to start preparing for your retirement, look for a loan, and start up something,” she further advised, even as she also called on the new board chairperson, Comr. Cecilia Musa to help strengthen the scheme.

“I am fully committed to supporting an organisation like this. We recognise the challenges from inadequate resources to the working environment, and we’re dedicated to addressing these challenges in partnership with you.

“Together, we can create an environment where nurses’ and midwives’ voices can be heard, and their contributions will be valued and rewarded.

Your compassion, dedication, and professionalism as the cornerstone of quality healthcare delivery in our communities, we must always reflect on the invaluable role we play in promoting health to the people of Kaduna State.

“We have started the process of implementing and domesticating the 2019 Con-hess,” Umma disclosed.

The commissioner maintained that the administration of Governor Uba Sani has placed a high premium on the creation of an enabling environment to raise the indices of the state through upgrading, equipping, and remodeling the health facilities, especially in the rural hospitals.

“We’re aware of the high attrition rate in the state, and we have started addressing them, and the nurses that were recruited and were not paid for months have all been paid,” Umma disclosed further

She added that the ministry will request the recruitment of more health personnel in the state, especially to help address the challenges of the lack of health personnel. (The PUNCH)

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