Thursday 1 November 2018

UGONSA TACKLES ABUTH OVER EXCLUSION OF NURSES FROM INTERNSHIP ADVERT

The Chief Medical Director,
Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH),
Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
Sir/Madam,

Attention:
Director of Administration
                 &
Head of Nursing Services, ABUTH

Sir/Madam,

MARGINALIZATION AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST NURSES BY YOUR HOSPITAL VIS-À-VIS EXCLUSION OF NURSE INTERN POSITION FROM INTERNSHIP ADVERT OF YOUR HOSPITAL AND NON-IMPLENTATION OF THE PROPER PLACEMENT OF NURSING OFFICERS

Nightingales greetings from the University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA), the professional association of nurses with a minimum of first degree in nursing.

2. Recall that the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF) had on 8th September, 2016 released a circular, REF No. HCSF/EIR/CND/S.100/ST/97, that made a one-year internship training a compulsory part of nursing education for the Bachelor of Nursing Science (B.N.Sc) degree as is obtainable with the university education of other healthcare disciplines (refer Annexure A).

3. It has been called to the attention of this association that your hospital wrongly excluded the position of nurse intern from its advert placement for internship that listed the internship positions for other healthcare disciplines (refer Annexure B).

4. This is despite the fact that the Federal Ministry of Health had on February 20, 2018 vide its letter Ref No. C.6093/T/16, written all the Chief Medical Directors (CMDs)/Medical Directors (MDs), Heads of Regulatory Bodies/Agencies, including your esteemed office, directing advertisement for nurse interns and proper placement of already employed graduates of B.N.Sc degree (refer Annexure C).

5. Accompanying the said letter (.i.e Annexure C) was another letter, Ref No.C6093/T/13 dated 19th June, 2017, where the Ministry succinctly spelt out the guidelines for implementation of the circular for the nurses’ internship and proper placement (refer Annexure D).

6. Apart from directing that the internship should be implemented, the referred letter (.i.e Annexure D) also stated that all nursing officers hitherto on grade level 08 (.i.e CONHESS 07) should be moved to the new base of grade level 09 (CONHESS 08) and that seniority on the new post should be effective from 8th September, 2016 (being the date of release of the circular REF No. HCSF/EIR/CND/S.100/ST/97 by the office of the head of civil service of the federation).

7. It is also apt to remind you that on 3rd October, 2017 the Federal Ministry of Health had, vide a circular, Ref No. DHS/800/I/T/8, specifically directed all CMDs/MDs, including your office, to implement the nurses’ internship circular and report the status of the implementation to the ministry (refer ANNEXURE E).

8. It is therefore very unfortunate to see these directives being trivialized by ABUTH Zaria under your able leadership when other hospitals have implemented it to give nurses a sense of inclusiveness and equity.

9. From the foregoing, it is very convenient to completely exonerate the Federal Ministry of Health from any culpability whatsoever in the non-implementation of internship and proper placement of graduate nurses by your hospital.

10. The avalanche of evidence that shows that the Federal Ministry of Health has, on different occasions, directed you to implement the circular, with the unfortunate outcome of yet excluding nurse interns in the internship advert by your hospital as well as refusal to make CONHESS 08 the new entry point of the graduate nurses, we are constrained to believe that what is at play at ABUTH is deliberate and calculated marginalization and discrimination against nurses.

11. Our people are already agitated and cannot continue to endure such humiliation and discrimination. Since it is a treatise that equity breeds lasting peace, we  appeal that what is due for nurses should be implemented by your hospital for them without further delay as continued denial of their right remains an ill wind that will blow no one any good in the near future.

PRAYER

We respectfully demand that you

1. advertise the post of nurse interns as was done for the interns of other healthcare disciplines.

2. help fresh graduate nurses, both of Northern States and non-Northern States extraction, trained in Ahmadu Bello University  Zaria and other universities across the country complete their nursing education vis-à-vis internship training by offering them opportunity to run internship training in your hospital.

3. upgrade existing nursing officers who were on CONHESS 07 before the release of the circular to the new base of CONHESS 08 effective from 8th September, 2016 (being the date of release of the circular REF No. HCSF/EIR/CND/S.100/ST/97 by the office of the head of civil service of the federation) as prescribed by the civil service circular, Ref No. B63279/S.7/II/T/273 dated 24th April, 2002 (please refer Annexure F).

4. commence the employment of fresh graduate nurses on CONHESS 08 and upgrade the existing nursing officers who were wrongly employed on CONHESS07 after 8th September, 2016 to CONHESS 08 effective from the date of their employment.

Kindly accept the assurances of our esteemed regards.

Signed:


CHIEF (HON.) S.E.O. EGWUENU                               NURSE G.I. NSHI
 National President                                                             National Secretary

CC

Director, Human Resources Federal Ministry of Health
Director Nursing Services, Federal Ministry of Health
Commissioner of Health, Kaduna State
Vice Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria


2 comments:

  1. Thanks you so much UGONSA , only GOD can pay this tireless and dedication you are doing to the nursing profession. Long live UGONSA, long live nursing profession!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you UGONSA.. Thanks for all the efforts towards the betterment of this noble profession.. Please,UCH Ibadan and university of Ilorin teaching hospital also placed advert for interns but nurse interns were excluded..Please help us..

    ReplyDelete