The President of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Michael Nnachi has called on state governors and the Federal Government to extend the retirement age of nurses from 60 to 65 years.
Nnachi said there had been a long-standing agitation for the past eight years for the review of the retirement age of nurses for both state and federal government employment, especially now that the japa syndrome had depleted the healthcare workforce and increased the workload.
He commended Otti for extending the retirement age of nurses to 65 which he noted would boost healthcare delivery in the state.
Recall that Otti said that the state government will soon announce a new retirement age for nurses in the state from 60 to 65 years.
The governor disclosed this on Friday at the Government House, Umuahia, during his monthly interactive session with journalists.
“The whole idea is to reverse medical tourists into Abia,” Otti said.
The japa syndrome has significantly depleted the existing healthcare workforce, leading to overwhelming workloads and the stretching of few available health workers in the country including nurses.
The Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Faruk Abubakar recently disclosed that over 42,000 nurses had left the country in the last three years in search of greener pastures.
According to him, in 2023 alone, 15,000 nurses and midwives left the shores of Nigeria to seek greener pastures.
Speaking with our correspondent, Nnachi said though Abia State was not the first to implement the policy, some northern states have implemented it, even though the Federal Government’s retirement age for nurses remains 60 years, urging other states to follow suit.
He explained that if the retirement age for nurses were reviewed, it would help reduce the workloads of nurses and improve the quality of healthcare delivery
Nnachi said, “We have been advocating for this for the past eight years. We have been pushing it across the country, in both state and federal employment.
“However, if it is implemented in Abia, it might not be the first to adopt it as many states in the north have already implemented similar measures. It has been a long-standing agitation and is not limited to nurses alone.
“In addition, the government needs to employ more nurses and ensure that hospitals are well furnished with functional equipment, as many hospitals are currently dilapidated.”
Nnachi noted that the situation was particularly concerning for nurses due to the ‘japa’ syndrome, where many are leaving Nigeria in search of better opportunities abroad.
This exodus, he said, had significantly depleted the existing nursing workforce, leading to overwhelming workloads.
He continues, “The reality on the ground often doesn’t reflect these ideal ratios, and the facilities available are frequently inadequate. Nurses usually work in challenging conditions, including remote areas with issues of insecurity, kidnapping, and violence.
“Increasing the retirement age from 60 to 65 years is a welcome development. This change will not only benefit the nurses but also improve patient care by addressing the low workforce issue.
“It would help ease the workload and potentially lead to the hiring of more staff, addressing a long-standing concern.”
On whether the retirement age would be raised or remain the same, Nnachi said, “To be fair to the system, extending the retirement age from 60 to 65 is reasonable.
“However, in fields such as consultancy and certain levels of academia, it is believed that experience at the level of professorship or high-level consultancy could justify extending the retirement age to 70.
“This extension would depend on the individual’s ability to continue contributing effectively, as not everyone at 65 or 70 may have the strength and energy required for their roles.”
Nnachi, however, emphasised that with a high workload and insufficient staffing, when there is inadequate manpower, the quality of service delivery suffers, impacting those who rely on these essential services.
He noted that the new policy would allow more experienced staff to remain in service, thereby ensuring that both departing and incoming personnel are available to deliver essential services.
Nnachi emphasised that nurses are going through serious challenges, saying that while the new retirement age is a form of motivation, it’s also not enough as nurses’ salaries cannot support their homes.
He said, “The economic situation in the country is dire, and I don’t need to explain the hardship everyone is facing. The cost of food, fuel, and other necessities keeps rising, yet salaries remain stagnant.
“Inflation has eroded almost all the purchasing power of civil servants, not just nurses, everyone is suffering. The average Nigerian worker is in pain, and what we earn cannot sustain us. It’s even more challenging to maintain your car on your salary.”
Corroborating his statement, the Chairman of the Nurses Association, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba chapter, Fidelia Uzoka, suggested that the 65-year retirement age should be adopted universally, saying that the retirement age for nurses in Federal Government employment remains 60.
Uzoka explained that implementing a universal 65-year retirement age could help offset the loss of healthcare professionals leaving the country daily.
“Instead of retiring nurses only to rehire them soon after, she advocated for a consistent policy that allows experienced nurses to continue contributing to the healthcare system longer,” she said.
Udoka, noting the heavy workload on the limited number of available nurses, urged the government to review and implement a policy establishing 65 years as the retirement age for nurses in federal employment.
“Raising the retirement age would allow experienced nurses to pass on their valuable knowledge to younger generations, especially given the trend of many younger nurses leaving the country,” she added.
SOURCE: PUNCH NEWS
