Some Nigerians have taken to social media to name out the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) for refusing to confirm the licences of nurses who wish to journey overseas.
This escalated on Monday after a Nigerian physician primarily based in the UK, Olufunmilayo Ogunsanya popularly referred to as OurFavOnlineDoctor made an extended publish on X platform accusing the NMCN of thwarting the plans of Nigerian nurses to practise overseas.
Mr Ogunsanya’s posts have sparked reactions amongst Nigerians, particularly well being employees who corroborated the posts with tales of frustrations and deliberate delays from the nursing council as they tag handles of the Nigerian authorities on X.
“Canada has confirmed it. Saudi has confirmed it. Texas/USA has additionally confirmed it. At this time it’s the nurses being held hostage. It may very well be medical doctors tomorrow. Or dentists. Or pharmacists. Or dietitians. Or opticians. Or optometrists. Or engineers. Or physiotherapists,” he stated.
The X person additionally added screenshots of an official response from the Texas Board of Nursing within the US to an applicant stating that NMCN had stopped verifications indefinitely.
The board within the notification stated it has halted the appliance course of for all Nigerian candidates whose Verification of Licensure from the Nigeria NMC is lacking or expired till additional discover.
“The Nigeria NMC has notified us that they’ve stopped sending verifications indefinitely. The Board of Nursing requires that Nigerian candidates have a present, unexpired verification of licensure from Nigeria NMC on file with a purpose to transfer ahead with their utility for licensure,” the notification learn.
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“There isn’t a waiver for the Nigerian verification, neither is there any various to having the verification despatched to us. The Board hopes to tell all candidates when this case modifications. “
Additionally, one other notification from the School of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada instructed an applicant that they’re “unable to log in to your account to confirm licensure. We perceive that NMC Nigeria just isn’t issuing verifications at current.”
“We do require a verification of registration with a purpose to assess your utility, so we are going to maintain your utility till this course of resumes and you’ll be able to get hold of your verification from NMC Nigeria,” it famous.
Reactions
The NMCN licence verification is a compulsory requirement for any Nigeria-trained nurse to relocate overseas.
Mr Ogunsanya famous that the NMCN disapproval signifies that “any licensed nurse who’s in Nigeria now can not relocate overseas for work. So, they will’t transfer from Nigeria to the UK, USA, Saudi or wherever else.
“Any licensed nurse who skilled in Nigeria however already overseas can not go away the place they’re for wherever else. So, they will’t transfer from the UK to USA, Canada or wherever. They’re caught the place they’re.”
Of their response to this growth, X person recognized as Timothy, stated: “I’ve a youthful sister who’s going by this bother. To be frank, I want she was a hairstylist than a nurse in Nigeria.”
I wish to elevate an alarm a couple of horrible injustice being carried out in opposition to nigerian nurses.
A lot of them don’t have the voice, the attain, or the platform for his or her ache to be heard or seen so I’ll gladly do it for them.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMcN)… pic.twitter.com/KgSbcyEM2U
— #OurFavOnlineDoc 🩺 🇬🇧 (@OurFavOnlineDoc) August 18, 2024
One other person, recognized as Benedict, stated “Present an enabling work atmosphere that ensures good pay and regards for medical practitioners, they stated NO. Permit them go search for an atmosphere the place their expertise are appreciated, they stated NO. This nation simply pisses me off. Could the wrath of God be on everybody behind this.”
On his half, one other person Gress, stated: “The choice by the NMCN is in unhealthy style. Except for the quick damaging affect it’s having, it could additionally pressure many potential college students looking for a nursing diploma to begin avoiding Nigerian universities, which isn’t good for the tutorial system.”
Anthonia, one other person, stated: “Is NMCN even conscious that their nurses can not additional their training overseas with out this verification? Nurses can not pursue any postgraduate examine ( Masters or PhD) in USA with out verification as a result of most universities require you to be a registered nurse of their nation.”
NMCN speaks
Chatting with PREMIUM TIMES Monday morning, the Secretary-Basic/ Registrar of NMCN, Faruk Abubakar, acknowledged there have been points with the verification course of whereas he additionally blamed making use of nurses for not following due course of.
He assured that the council was striving to resolve the problems in a matter of days, particularly with the newly accepted well being workforce migration coverage now in pressure.
“The president has accepted the primary migration coverage and it was launched. I consider very quickly inside a few days all problems with verification will probably be resolved,” Mr Abubakar instructed PREMIUM TIMES.
Mr Abubakar accused some nurses of not following the due course of and pointers of the council.
“We’re a accountable establishment; we’ve got our pointers. I see individuals formulate lies after which publish them to deceive individuals. You can’t journey with out following the due course of and need the council to reply your request when you’re overseas,” he stated.
He added, “We have to guarantee checks and balances within the establishments. There are loads of unlawful actions like cloning licences. We have now to deal with them to guard the integrity of Nigeria.
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“I offer you my phrase, very quickly all these will probably be resolved.”
The Nationwide Coverage on Well being Workforce Migration was accepted final week by President Bola Tinubu as a technique to handle the migration of Nigerian healthcare professionals.
Mr Abubakar confirmed that as of February, 42,000 nurses had left the nation inside three years.
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