Nurses Accuse Lagos State Govt of Training and Recruiting “Auxiliary Nurses”
Nurses under the umbrella of National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, in Lagos State, Thursday, accused the state government of training and recruiting quacks (Auxiliary Nurses) into the profession through its Employment Trust Fund Agency.
The nurses, at a press conference in Lagos, claimed they were raising the alarm in order to prevent avoidable deaths as well as ensure sanity in the health care system.
Chairman of the Association, Lagos Council, Olurotimi Awojide, who frowned at the development, lamented that quackery had become worrisome in the society with its attendant health risks to the citizens.
He said: “When the association got wind of the recruitment exercise last December, under Lagos State Employment Trust Fund; it quickly approached the state government to express their reservations. But the government denied training and recruiting nurses. Rather, it explained that it was a general training aimed at empowering jobless youths and offering them set skills required for catering for the non-medical needs of individuals.
But the association according to Awojide, observed a twist, after reading and analyzing the workbook used in training the short-listed candidates for the scheme, even as he revealed that duties stated in the guide included that of a nurse.
“It became more worrisome when it was discovered that the people were only trained for six months and posted to hospitals to handle patients. They are actually bastardising nursing profession by engaging in illegal training,” he said.
However, efforts to reach the Lagos State Ministry of Health for clarifications proved abortive as calls and text messages sent to the Commissioner for Health, the permanent secretary and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on health were not responded to as at press time.
Vaguard Newspaper
