Shortage of staff hindering universal health coverage by 2030, says experts

Success Damian:

Experts have decried shortage of Nurses and Midwives globally, saying it poses serious hindrance to attainment of universal health coverage by the year 2030.

This much was revealed by critical stakeholders at a One Day Policy Workshop for Nurses and Midwives organized by Young Midwifery Leaders in Conjunction with Lagos Island Maternity Hospital (LIMH), Lagos on Wednesday.

With the theme, ‘Strengthening Universal Health Coverage’, the event also featured Policy workshop update on HIV/AIDS Intervention for Young People.

Director of Clinical Services & Training who also doubles as the Deputy Medical Director, Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, Dr. Ogungbemile Babalola, who represented the Medical Director, Dr Olufemi Omololu speaking on the challenges faced by nurses harped on shortage of staff “One challenge which I can think of is shortage in terms of staff strength, nurses are being overworked, and it is a general problem.”  

Ogungbemile was quick to add that the state government was already doing something to ameliorate the situation “The state government is already putting some things in place to ameliorate the problem. It is actually occasioned by health personnel leaving the country for greener pastures and it cuts across virtually every profession now, that is on the administrative side, maybe the other aspects can be thrown more light on by the a nurse who can tell you other problems they are facing.”

On her part, Cole Adebukola Oluwabisayo, the Apex Nurse of Lagos Island Maternity Hospital and Chief Hostess of the event said “2020 as Year of Nurses and Midwives as declared by World Health Organisation (WHO) is to let the world hear our voice, about what are the challenges that we are facing, so that a policy on this can be submitted so that the whole world can see what we are facing, and it is also to celebrate ourselves for the work which we are doing.”

Oluwabisayo, who maintained that nurses have done excellently well also spoke on the challenges being faced by African nurses. “Challenges faced by nurses include shortage of workforce in Africa. If you want to go by WHO standard, you will see that we are not nearing the statistics, the ratio, at all. In Africa, you see a nurse attending to 15-20 patients, even in outpatient department; she will be the only one, which is not supposed. Then the workforce, the equipment to work with, modern equipment, like in the other developed world, if they can be supplied adequately then we train ourselves so that we will be able to use it optimally.”

On some nurses that do not show dedication to their duties she said that over 90% of nurses are alive to their duties especially giving the WHO ratio.

Speaking on the Coronavirus ravaging parts of the world and how prepared the nurses are, she said “We are prepared, because in this hospital we have a committee called Infection Control Committee. We are ready; we don’t pray it will come to Nigeria, even the Lassa that is in neighbouring states, we are prepared. The PPP is available, the nurses are on ground; they are well equipped for it.” 

She then called on the youth to go for degree programme in nursing.  

Mrs Oluwatoyin Champion, chairman of the Local Organising Body, 2020 Nurse/Midwives year, speaking on the preparedness of the group for the year-long programme said “It is not really easy to gather people together and to do what you want; because the people believe in us, as you can see for yourself with the large turnout, you would know that we are grossly involved in this, every nurse is being celebrated and we are celebrating ourselves as well.”

She said the event is all about strengthening the nurses and building their capacities. “It is about strengthening nurses globally to achieve more. In America, Canada, UK, even in Africa, there is shortage of nurses. We want to see a way of bridging the gap sooner than later, so that by next decade, we should have more than enough nurses; a lot effort is being put into this. Today marks the kickoff of a year-long event to strengthen the nurses and build their capacity.” 

Olajumoke Adebayo, a Young Midwife Leader with International Confederation of Midwives and convener of the workshop disclosed that the international organization is the governing body for midwives around the world.

On the imperative of the workshop she stated “As a young midwife leader I am expected to do programmes like conferences, support our association in building their capacities and strengthening the profession. So as part of my project as a young midwife leader, I am doing a policy workshop, we are expected to move into decision making roles. If capacities are not built we won’t be able to fit into such places and that is why I am doing a policy workshop for the midwives to update their skills and also improve their capacity.” 

On challenges being faced by Midwives she said “Apart from not been invited to decision making tables, our voices are not heard, a lot of difficulties like been underpaid, poor working conditions, and despite all these we are still able to give the best services that we can, a lot of people do not want to invest in education which is very important for us.”

She said Nigeria is among the countries that have the highest number of maternal mortality in the world and it is important that capacities are built. “We should be able to build capacities of midwives, to ensure that we reduce maternal mortality. And that is why WHO is celebrating the year of nurses and midwives, so it is important that we find innovative ways of actually uplifting the status of nurses and midwives to ensuring that they are in better capacity to give quality care and also to be at decision making table.” She said she hoped that very soon there will be more midwives in the communities.   

On what government could do to tackle the challenges faced by nurses and midwives she said, “WHO has to declare this year, so that ministries of health and governments will be very conscious of the importance of midwives and nurse, they know that they have nurses and midwives but they have not seen the need to really invest in us and that is why WHO declared this year for us, bringing us to spotlight so that ministries of health and governments are more conscious and  they now know the importance and know that without us they cannot achieve universal healthcare. So I am happy that WHO actually declared this year the year of Nurse/Midwives.