Ogun nurses protest inadequate equipment, staff

Nurses at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun State, have issued a 21-day ultimatum to the management to address shortages of essential medical equipment, inadequate staffing and poor working conditions, warning that the challenges could compromise patient safety and healthcare delivery.

The nurses, under the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives at the hospital, raised the concerns during a protest over what they described as persistent deficiencies in the hospital’s facilities and working environment.

One of the major concerns highlighted by the association was the reported situation in which three hospital wards had to share and queue for a single blood pressure monitoring apparatus to carry out routine clinical duties.

The nurses said the shortage of basic medical equipment was incompatible with the demands of a specialised hospital expected to provide round-the-clock care to patients.

In a list of demands, the association identified shortages of manual and digital blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters, cardiac monitors, thermometers, weighing scales and glucometers, among other essential equipment.

It also called for the provision of oxygen cylinders in the wards, emergency and resuscitation trays, essential emergency supplies and adequate medicines for patients.

The association further demanded the provision of bedspreads for patients, reliable electricity and adequate water supply, stressing that the deficiencies placed additional pressure on healthcare personnel and could undermine effective service delivery.

Beyond equipment shortages, the nurses called for the recruitment and deployment of specialist nurses in accident and emergency, perioperative, psychiatric, intensive care and midwifery services.

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They also demanded an end to what they described as single-qualified staffing arrangements, alongside regular training and retraining of healthcare personnel to strengthen the quality and safety of patient care.

The association raised concerns over the reported absence of DStv subscriptions in the hospital wards for more than eight months, arguing that access to television programmes could support diversional therapy and help reduce boredom among patients receiving psychiatric care.

It stressed that adequate medical equipment, sufficient staffing, reliable electricity and clean water were essential to patient safety, infection prevention and control, staff welfare and effective healthcare delivery.

The nurses urged the hospital management to take urgent and meaningful action within 21 days to address the identified challenges.

They warned that the prevailing conditions placed avoidable pressure on healthcare workers and could affect the timely, safe and effective delivery of care to patients.

As the protest continued, the association reiterated its demands for improved facilities and working conditions, calling for concrete steps to resolve the concerns raised.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH on Saturday, the President of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, Aro branch, Ojewande Oluwafemi, confirmed the development, saying NANNM and MHWUN were on the same page regarding the action.

“Today is the second day. Both unions are on the same page on the ultimatum because we are working,” he stated.