The Kwara chairman of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Aminu Shehu, has called on the state government to improve members’ welfare packages.

Mr Aminu appealed on Saturday in Ilorin on the sideline of a forum addressing the gross shortage of manpower of medical practitioners in the state.

He also urged the state government to employ more health workers that would measure up with the increasing number of patients in public health facilities.

According to him, there are only 700 nurses in the state, and for them to be sufficient and efficient in discharging their work, the government must employ 3,000 more and also ensure a better welfare package.

“Last year, we mounted pressure on the state government to increase our salary, and the governor increased it from 60 per cent to 70 per cent, but it didn’t meet our expectations because we demanded 100 per cent.

“The governor employed more nurses last year, but as he employed them, they spent some time and left the service for a better offer.

“We now concluded that the solution to the problem is an increment of salary from 70 per cent to 100 per cent, improve welfare package and payment of hazard allowance.

“We have written to the governor who asked us to bring the number of nurses in the state and the number required to be employed,” he said.

Mr Aminu decried the pathetic situation whereby one nurse attends to about 30 patients in Kwara when it should be one nurse to four patients, saying the development is worrisome.

He further demanded security operatives at various hospitals to checkmate excesses of some patients and their relatives who sometimes become violent and unruly whenever they lose their loved ones.

The labour leader, however, appreciated Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for trying to address the plight of health workers in the state.

Mr Aminu called on residents to re-elect the governor to enable him to consolidate the gains achieved so far and for the people to enjoy more dividends of democracy.

(NAN)