Striking health workers to participate in polio vaccination campaign

Despite its ongoing strike, health workers in the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have agreed to participate in the polio immunisation campaign scheduled for May.

The decision was jointly announced on Friday in Abuja by the FCT chapters of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN).

Speaking on behalf of the unions, the Chairperson of NANNM, FCT Chapter, Jama Medan, said although the strike remains in effect, an exception would be made for the 10-day polio vaccination exercise.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the unions have shut down Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the six area councils of the FCT.

The strike was to demand the implementation of the 70,000 minimum wage, and payment of outstanding arrears and allowances.

Mr Medan, however, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the strike is still on.

He explained that the workers would be allowed to participate in the 10-day exercise, while also allowing access to the immunisation materials and cold chain in the primary healthcare facilities.

“We agreed that all our members that may be needed for the vaccination exercise should come out to implement the vaccination,” he said.

“Secondly, we will also allow access to the health facilities where the cold rooms and the immunisation materials are located. We are given 10 days for the exercise.

“However, we did not call off the strike, and we are not allowing any of our members to carry out any other duty rather than the polio vaccination.”

The chairman said that the decision was motivated by concern for children’s well-being, noting that missing the vaccination window could lead to new cases of the virus.

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“Our concern has been the people and not only ourselves. We health workers are worried that the innocent

Nigerian children in the FCT will miss the May polio vaccination because our members are on strike,” he said.

“If they miss the vaccination, there is the possibility that we are going to have a polio outbreak in the FCT, and if such happens, it is going to be worrisome.

“We know the devastating effect of polio on children and if one child is affected and becomes crippled, that child, his parents and Nigerians will never forget us and will never forgive us.”

He called on the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and other authorities to intervene so the health workers could call off the strike and return to work.

He said that people are dying daily at the area councils due to a lack of access to primary healthcare services in communities following the strike.

(NAN)