El-rufai charges Nurses on attitude change to compliment govt effort in reviving the health sector By; Amos Mathew, Kaduna.

El-rufai charges Nurses on attitude change to compliment govt effort in reviving the health sector
By; Amos Mathew, Kaduna.
Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-rufai has charged Nurses in the state to change their attitude to work to compliment government efforts towards reversing the negative state of the health sector.
El-rufai made the call while declaring open the Scientific Conference and Annual General meeting of the West African College of Nursing (WACN) Nigerian chapter held in Kaduna.
The Governor who was represented by his deputy, Barnabas Bala Bantex, said his government inherited a negative health sector and committed to reverse the negative indices but needs the Nurses to renew their attitude to compliment it efforts.
According to him, “the health as a sector is receiving the attention of this government in monumental strides. As you are aware and as we speak, the government of the state, side by side with international partners are trying collectively to reverse the health indices which we inherited.
“That we have done by providing for 255 comprehensive health care facilities in each of the wards of the state. It will be well equipped and furnished in a very beautiful environment. We also are going to in each local government, modernize a single hospital and thereafter deal with seven tertiary hospitals.
“Now been in this function, the idea is to remind the Nurses that we can do all these but the attitude of the Nurse within that environment is what will actually deliver on the health care.
“So the government is drawing the attention of the Nurses to change their attitude, the sympathy, honesty with which nurses approach their profession in the past. They should renew it with greater strength, have compassion to the patients. And when that is done, it will compliment the governments’ effort towards reversing the negative state of the state health sector.
“Nurses are central to the provision of quality healthcare. We currently require many qualified Nurses to achieve our aspirations to improve healthcare outcomes for our people,” he said.
In his keynote address, Associate Professor of Public Health, Nursing and Head of Department of Nursing from Bayero University Kano (BUK), Dr. Adelani Tijani called for appreciable salaries for the Nurses.
“Except for few workplaces like Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres, many places of work are paying salary that is not attractive. The state government health facilities are nothing to write home about in terms of wages for the Nurse,” Tijani noted.
The Executive Secretary of WACN, Mrs. Henrietta Okedo said the theme of the event titled “Promoting quality Nursing education and practice: Prospect and Challenges in the Twenty-First Century” is apt and timely.
She said no country or region can ensure the health of its population hence the need to provide quality nursing education, adding that “the global health issues require highly educated and skilled healthcare professionals that can provide quality and seamless care to the clients,”.