Enugu state chapter of the National Association Of Nigeria Nurses And Midwives, NANNM, has given the Management of the Enugu state Teaching Hospital, parklane, a 15 day ultimatum to clear the six months salaries of one hundred and fifty (150) nurses employed by the state’s owned teaching hospital.
This was contained in a letter sighted by Daily Gazette which was addressed to the Chief Medical Director, ESUT Teaching Hospital parklane, on Monday and signed by the State Chairman of the group, Comrade Innocent Ejike Ezema and the secretary, Comrade Joy Laeticia Chukwu.
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The letter reads in parts;
“Sequel to the acute shortage of nurses in the hospital due to constant relocation of our nurses to overseas and federal establishments in search of greener pastures, the hospital management sought for and got the approval of Enugu State Government for the employment of 150 nurses through an open advertisement. The interested candidates submitted their applications and interview was conducted and successful nurses were selected and offered appointment letters.”
“These nurses resumed work since March 2023 and since then, all of them have been consistently punctual at work. Some had to leave their families and relocated to Enugu and have been working without payment of any salary.”
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“In May 2023, there was Bio data capturing exercise during which they were captured together with other health workers who were employed including the Doctors, but to our utmost dismay, the Doctors were selected and paid leaving the nurses to suffer even till now. Their condition of work has become unbearable such that many of them are heavily indebted and can no longer borrow to come to work.”
“In the light of this distress, they have consistently planned to protest but were prevailed upon to exercise patience for the new government to act on it. Recall that these nurses were employed to rescue the hospital from the acute shortage of nurses that was already jeopardizing the nursing care services very seriously ”
“Our Prayers therefore are:
1. That the hospital management should pay the newly employed nurses (150) their salaries without further delay.
2. That these salaries should be paid completely with arrears of six months for which they have worked and subsequently be paid alongside with the older staff”
“Be notified therefore that after 15 days from the day this ultimatum was served and hospital management has not paid all of the 150 nurses, the entire nurses will withdraw their services as injury to one of us is injury to all.”
