*Demand implementation of 2009 CONHESS
By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
As workers in various government-owned hospitals across Kaduna State on Monday embarked on a 5-day warning strike over non implementation of the 2009 CONHESS and hazard allowance, resulting in crippling its activities, patients are left unattended to.
The Nigerian Association of Nurses and Midwives, the Nigerian Association of Laboratory Sciences, and the Association of Hospital Administrative Pharmacists, Kaduna State Chapter, embarked on the industrial action.
There was strict adherence to the strike call to the industrial action at the Sabo General Hospital, Sabon Tasha in Chikun Local Government Area, tĥe Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, and the Gwamna Awan General Hospital, Kaduna, visited by our correspondent on Tuesday July 9, 2024.
Most of the patients told New Nigerian that they noticed that there was no single nurse to attend to them, compared to the previous week when the nurses were very proactive in discharging their duties.
A nurse, in one of the government hospitals who came in later, told the patients that she was giving them the last medication because they were embarking on an industrial strike action.
According to one of the patients, “I became worried because I know my daughter is very sick.”
A patient appealed to the Kaduna State Government to respond quickly to the plight of the health workers, which is affecting the ordinary citizens seeking medications.
The Chairman, Nigerian Association of Nurses and Midwives, Kaduna State Chapter, Comrade Ishaku Yakubu, said that they are demanding their 2009 CONHESS and 2022 hazards allowance which the government has failed to fulfil for several months going but lamented that the government keeps giving them failed promises.
He explained that in 2023, union wanted to go on strike but the government set up a committee to look at the issue, stressing that the committee did a holistic work to review what they called the Salary CONHESS salary structure for Doctors and to also review the CONHESS salary for other health workers.
He added that the government promised that they were going to implement the review for the salary for all, lamenting that unfortunately, it was done for Doctors and it was not done for others, especially the nurses but the Doctors were given their balance of 2014 CONHESS but the nurses kept expecting the balance of the 2009 CONHESS, but there has been nothing till date.
He said that they started asking for their demands and the issue of 2022 hazards allowance, adding that sometime in November 2023, the Commissioner for Health invited them to do the financial implication of the 2022 hazard allowance which they did and submitted
According to him, when she (Commissioner) looked at the whole bill, the government promised to give them 50 per cent first tranche payment in 2023 and the balance 50 per cent in 2024, lamenting till date, the promised has not been kept.
He described Governor Uba Sani as a Labour friendly governor and as such they expected that by now he would have attended to some of their demands since they do not want to be harsh that he has not done anything for them.
He maintained that they would only call off the strike if their demands were met.
