Peter Dada Ondo State nurses have urged the state government to review their salary structure in line with what has been done for other professionals in the health sector, warning that the disparity could lead to disharmony within the system. The nurses, under the aegis of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Ondo State Chapter, expressed their concerns at the 2024 Ondo Nurses Week/Scientific Conference, held in Akure, the state capital, on Wednesday. The event, themed “Our Nurses, Our Future: The Economic Power of Care”, saw the nurses calling for urgent action from the state government.
The state chairman of NANNM, Akintobi Orobode, lamented that while the salary structure of doctors in the state had recently been reviewed to match that of their counterparts at the federal level, other health workers, including nurses, were left out. “Two months ago, we learned that the salary structure for doctors in the state was reviewed to be on par with that of the Federal Government, leaving out the Consolidated Health Salary Structure, which applies to other health workers. “This can create disharmony.
We are all working towards improving patients’ lives, and no one profession should be seen as superior. When the government gives preferential treatment to one group, it can lead to tension,” he said. He emphasized the crucial role nurses play in the healthcare system, pointing out that they are the ones who stay with patients 24 hours a day, making them.