The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) chapter, has decried assault on members by relatives of some patients.

The chapter chairperson, Victoria Samson, raised the concern during the maiden celebration of Emergency Nurses Day at the hospital on Wednesday in Jos.

According to Ms Samson, nurses are constantly assaulted while doing their duties because patients’ relatives believe they are slow in attending to the sick.

“We implore our management to beef up security at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) unit to address assault of our members because some are always beaten up there,” she said.

She appealed for the establishment of laboratories at the units for quick investigation of emergency cases to speed up their treatment.

Ms Samson also suggested the stationing of an ambulance bay to facilitate easy conveyance of patients to other units.

“It will address public interference because some people just want to take pictures of serious cases, and this is against our ethics and an invasion of the patient’s privacy,” she said.

In her remarks, the coordinator of the Accident and Emergency Unit of JUTH, Paula Barnabas, thanked the nurses for their commitment to duties and urged them always to exhibit patience, calmness under pressure and compassion while attending to patients.

The coordinator also thanked the management of JUTH for approving special allowances for the A&E nurses, saying it would boost their morale and push them to serve humanity more.

In his remarks, the acting chief medical officer of JUTH, Pokop Bupwatda, said the management was doing its best to address the shortage of manpower, not only in the unit but in the hospital.

Emergency Nurses Day celebration originated in 1989 in Australia and is marked in recognition of the work and dedication of emergency nurses worldwide.

It is celebrated annually on every second Wednesday of October. 

(NAN)