‘It’s like hell,’ patients groan as nurses’ strike grounds Kaduna hospital

Patients at the National Ear Care Centre, Kaduna, are currently battling not just their ailments but also the harsh realities of a system paralysed by a nationwide strike by nurses.

The once-bustling corridors of the federal facility now echo with pain and frustration as the absence of nursing staff leaves patients stranded with minimal support.

Our correspondent, who visited the hospital on Thursday, observed a distressing atmosphere where patients on admission struggled without basic nursing care.

One such patient, Peace Agadama, recounted her ordeal amid tears and visible discomfort.

“I was diagnosed with acute sinusitis and a bacterial infection affecting one part of my head. I can’t feel anything on this side,” she said, gently pointing to the left part of her face.

“The pain is excruciating, there’s a foul-smelling discharge and constant needling headaches,” she added.

But Peace’s complaint is not just about the illness—it’s the compounding effect of the nurses’ absence that’s making recovery torturous.

“For the past two or three days, it’s been terrible. There’s nobody to assist with simple tasks like changing my cannula. The doctors are doing their best, but they’re overwhelmed. I’ve had my cannula changed four times in two days. Both of my hands are swollen. There’s no one to assist when I need to use the restroom or need immediate help,” she said.

She added that some patients were even discharged prematurely due to the lack of manpower.

“I overheard doctors saying, ‘Discharge everybody,’ because there are no hands on deck. Some people were sent home before they were fully treated. Nurses are essential to healthcare. If they’re not around, lives are at stake. We’re pleading with both the nurses and the government to find common ground. Nurses don’t just deserve what they’re demanding—they need it to function properly. This affects all of us,” she added.

Another patient, who craved anonymity, described her experience as “hellish” and emotionally exhausting.

“It was like hell,”  she told our reporter in a barely audible voice.

“There was no one to attend to us. I was in pain all through the night. The nurses are usually the ones who help with little things—administering drugs on time, checking the IV lines, or even helping you sit up. None of that happened. We just lay there, praying nothing would go wrong,” she said.

She added that even the simplest needs, like getting drinking water or using the restroom, had become nightmarish for many inpatients.

“Imagine calling for help and no one is coming. The doctors tried, but they can’t be everywhere at once. You can’t imagine the stress we’re all going through,” she added.

The Head of Department, Nursing Services at the centre, Mr Abbas Daura, confirmed that the nurses had fully withdrawn their services, save for emergencies, which, he noted, had been few since the commencement of the strike.

“You can see the situation yourself. Nobody is happy.

“The patients are at the receiving end. They’re not getting the satisfactory services they deserve. The strike is a complete withdrawal of services, although we still attend to emergencies. But honestly, since the strike began, we’ve not had any such emergency cases,” he told our reporter.

Daura lamented the long-standing issues plaguing the nursing profession in Nigeria, especially the harsh working conditions and lack of basic facilities. He said these were responsible for the alarming rate at which Nigerian-trained nurses are fleeing the country for better opportunities abroad.

“We have the knowledge, skills, and training. Our institutions produce some of the best hands in healthcare. Unfortunately, it is foreign countries that end up benefiting from our expertise because we can’t work in an enabling environment here,” he said.

He called on the Federal Government to rise to the occasion and address the grievances of the striking nurses.

Credit: Punch