Lagos – Mr Julius Awojide, Chairman, Lagos State chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM ) said nurses in the state will commence a three -day warning strike on Monday, January 10.

He told newsmen in Lagos on Friday that the warning strike was to press for a better condition of service for nurses working in Lagos State government owned hospitals and other health facilities.

He decried what he called government’s insensitivity to the plight of nurses who he said had been working under unbearable conditions.

Awojide also chided the state government for its refusal to fill vacancies created by statutory retirement of 496 out of 2,350 nurses working in various state owned health facilities.

Awojide said government’s replacement-on-exit policy had become ineffective due to the poor condition of service, saying it was finding it difficult to get replacements for the retired nurses

“Out of the 500 vacancies approved for recruitment by the governor for the health service commission recently, less than 300 applied, especially in a country with a 33.2 per cent unemployment rate,’’ he said.

He said the problem was already affecting quality health service delivery in the state , saying that there was urgent need to reduce the workload on the remaining nurses. (vitalnews)

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