During the Nurses and Midwives Annual General Meeting held at the Asaa Pyramid Hotel in Kaduna on Saturday, the Chairman of Nurses and Midwives Kaduna State Chapter, Comr. Ishaku Yakubu, lamented the exodus of nurses and midwives from hospitals in Kaduna State due to inadequate welfare packages.
Yakubu highlighted the issue of poor salaries, stating that Kaduna State is among those that pay nurses poorly. He emphasized the necessity for the state government to enhance the welfare of nurses to ensure effective healthcare delivery.
Despite the challenges, Yakubu commended the Kaduna State Governor for pledging to revamp six General Hospitals in the state and urged for the recruitment of more nurses and midwives across the state to address the shortage in healthcare personnel.
In response, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Health, Hajia Umma Ahmed, reiterated the State Government’s commitment to supporting the Kada Nurses and Midwives Empowerment Initiative scheme. She emphasized the importance of cooperatives like Kada Nurses and Midwives Multi-purpose Cooperative Society in fostering collaboration and empowerment among members.
Umma acknowledged the significance of End-well schemes in other states and stressed the need for nurses to start preparing for retirement by engaging in businesses and investments. She expressed her dedication to supporting organizations like Kada Nurses and Midwives Multi-purpose Cooperative Society in addressing challenges faced by healthcare workers.
Furthermore, Umma disclosed that the state government has initiated the process of implementing and domesticating the 2019 Consolidated Health Salary Structure (Con-hess). She highlighted Governor Uba Sani’s commitment to upgrading, equipping, and remodeling health facilities, especially in rural areas, to improve healthcare services.
Addressing concerns about unpaid salaries, Umma assured that the ministry has addressed the issue, emphasizing the need for recruiting more health personnel to alleviate the shortage of healthcare workers in the state.
