The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has denied allegations by Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s administration that some nurses removed oxygen supply from a two-day-old baby.

Mr El-Rufai’s administration on Tuesday announced the dismissal of nurses on Grade Level 14 and below for joining a five-day warning strike called by the NLC.

It specifically accused nurses at the state-run Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital of disengaging the baby’s oxygen supply.

In a statement on Thursday, Chairman of the NANNM in Kaduna, Ishaku Yakubu, said, “Investigations carried out by the union reveal how the nurse on duty helped plead with the generator technician allow power supply in the hospital as a patient was on oxygen.

“Contrary to the allegations and false statements, the nurse went the extra mile to ensure the safety of the child and other patients as it is known of nurses.”

Regarding the baby’s situation, Mr Yakubu added, “The investigations also reveal that the baby is alive and doing well in one of the private facilities in Kaduna town. Videos of the interview with the mother of the baby and the private hospital are available and will be made available to the media.”

Mr Yakubu also stated that Kaduna nurses did not discharge any patient when it joined the strike. He claimed that patients left of their own volition.

Regarding sacked nurses, Mr Yakubu stated, “All nurses, as well as other health professionals, are part of this action; why single out nurses if not an attempt to polarise the unity that we have?

“It is also aimed at putting fear in the nurses to have them resume work knowing that we constitute the majority of the workforce in the health sector. This attempt will fail as we are together and not moved by these threats.”

(NAN)