The Kaduna State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives on Monday in Kaduna warned members of the public against assaulting its members while performing their constitutional responsibilities.

The Kaduna State chairman of the association, Ishaku Yakubu, stated this during the Quadrennial State Delegates Conference at Arewa House in Kaduna.

“We’ll defend our members against this menace, and anyone found assaulting any nurse anywhere will face the wrath of the association,” he said, noting that nurses have continued to face assaults from members of the public.

“Nurses are the critical engine of the health care system and the bedrock of any hospital in Nigeria; no hospital can flourish without a nurse or a midwife. They must be supported and encouraged at all levels,” he said.

Lamenting that nurses have been neglected by all levels of government, he urged them to come out of their comfort zones and join political parties and make their presence known, not only in patient care but also in the political arena.

“Nurses are imminently qualified to hold any position in the government because they’re promoters of public health and advocate for policies geared towards the attainment of quality health care,” he stated.

The Kaduna State Commissioner for Health, represented by the Director of Administration and Finance of the ministry, Zakari Mohammed, said the State Executive Council, sometime last year, approved the replacement of 278 nurses.

The exercise, according to him, was conducted in April this year, and those employed have since been deployed across hospitals.

He further confirmed that arrangements have been made to start paying their salaries at the end of this month.

Kaduna Nursing Association Warns public against assaulting its members