A fresh wave of outrage is building in Anambra State following alarming revelations by the Elegant Nurses Forum over what it described as worsening hardship, salary cuts, and deteriorating healthcare infrastructure threatening both workers and patients across the state.
In a strongly worded press statement signed by Nurse Thomas Abiodun Olamide, the group expressed deep concern over what it described as unjust salary reductions affecting nurses, doctors, pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists, administrative staff, and other civil servants, warning that the situation is pushing families into severe financial distress.
According to the Forum, the development is particularly painful considering that many health workers risked their lives to report for duty during the controversial sit-at-home periods, with some allegedly attacked and injured while trying to save lives.
Despite these sacrifices, the statement revealed that many workers have been receiving half salaries for months, while others are now reportedly earning as low as a quarter of their normal pay.
The group described the situation as demoralizing and unacceptable, noting that nurses have also been denied their rightful allowances, including uniform allowances, since September 2024, a development they said reflects growing neglect of frontline health workers.
Beyond salary concerns, the Forum painted a troubling picture of the healthcare system in the state, describing hospital structures as dilapidated and unfit for healthcare delivery. Several wards, according to the statement, are reportedly unsafe for patients and health workers, with maternity wards particularly affected by leaking roofs that expose pregnant women, newborns, and caregivers to unsafe and unhealthy conditions.
The statement further revealed that during rainfall, hospital operations become extremely difficult, while frequent power outages at night have forced nurses to rely on phone torch lights to carry out critical duties, including childbirth deliveries.
The Forum warned that this situation places mothers and newborns at serious risk, especially in facilities without functional generators or alternative power supply.
According to the group, the consequences of these conditions are already becoming evident across the state, with declining nutritional status among families, weakened immunity, increased infections, and worsening maternal and child health outcomes.
The Forum also highlighted a surge in mental health challenges such as stress, anxiety, and depression, attributed to financial strain and deteriorating living conditions.
The statement further warned that access to healthcare services is declining as both patients and health workers struggle to cope with the harsh economic realities, while poverty and hunger continue to rise across affected communities.
The Elegant Nurses Forum called for immediate restoration of full salaries for all workers, payment of outstanding arrears, settlement of withheld allowances, urgent renovation of public hospitals, repair of leaking maternity wards, provision of reliable electricity, installation of generators or solar power systems, improved security for health workers, and open dialogue between government and worker representatives.
The group also urged authorities to implement policies that would improve welfare, address rising cost of living, and ensure access to basic amenities for workers and residents.
The Forum warned that failure to act swiftly could further weaken healthcare delivery and endanger lives, stressing that the wellbeing of health workers directly impacts the health of the population.
The statement concluded with the Elegant Nurses Forum declaring solidarity with affected workers and vowing to continue advocating for justice, dignity, and improved welfare across the state, as pressure mounts on authorities to respond to what many now describe as a deepening humanitarian and healthcare crisis in Anambra State.