Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital criticises nurses’ strike, vows uninterrupted services

2026-02-12 - 15:18

By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo, Kaduna The management of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Kaduna, has criticised the ongoing strike by the local chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), insisting that patient care and the preservation of lives remain its top priority. In a statement signed by the hospital’s Head of Information and Protocol, Usman Toma Haruna, management accused the striking nurses of prioritising their welfare over professional ethics. “The primary responsibility of any medical professional is to save lives, but NANNM officials, by their conduct, have shown that their welfare is more paramount than ethics,” the statement read. The strike, according to the hospital, was triggered by grievances over stagnation and the non-promotion of some union members. Management said it had engaged the union leadership twice before the industrial action to resolve the dispute, explaining that the matter falls under the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Office of the Head of Service, not the hospital itself. “Before the strike, the Top Management Committee met with the union leadership twice to resolve their grievances. They were informed that the hospital does not currently have a governing board, and only the relevant ministries can statutorily address the issue,” Haruna said. The hospital further noted that appeals to suspend the strike were ignored. To prevent a total shutdown of services, Medical Director Prof. Aishatu Yushau Armiyau arranged for volunteer nurses to man the dialysis centre, which serves infectious disease patients across Kaduna State and neighbouring states. The management alleged that some NANNM officials attempted to frustrate the arrangement by threatening nurses who volunteered to continue working and even trespassed into the hospital premises to disrupt services. “Much as it is the right of NANNM officials to go on strike, it is unacceptable to threaten nurses who voluntarily offer services to patients. The primary responsibility of any medical professional is to save lives,” the statement reiterated. Management emphasised that it remains open to dialogue with the union but will not compromise on providing care to patients who may have no alternative medical facility.