Nurses, midwives observes 3-hr work abstention demanding reforms

Nurses, midwives, and nursing students across the country staged a three-hour work abstention today, calling for the removal of non-nursing administrative officials from key positions in the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM) and the Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Council.
The nurses, midwives, and nursing students under the banner of the Nursing and Midwifery Reform Council observed the work abstention across the country from 9:00am to 12:00pm as per their scheduled programme.The council’s one point demand is appointment of highly educated and experienced nurses to leadership roles, replacing bureaucrats and cadre officers currently in those positions.
In Dhaka, a human chain was formed in front of the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
However, the hospital’s emergency department, emergency OT, ICU, CCU, dialysis, PICU labour ward and other units were exempted from this work abstention, said one of the protesting nurses.
Convener of the Nursing and Midwifery Reform Council, Md Shariful Islam, emphasised the need for qualified nurses to lead the sector.
“We are demanding the appointment of nurses to key positions based on their qualifications and skills, excluding bureaucrats,” he said.
The protesting nurses will observe five hours of work abstention tomorrow from 9.00am to 2:00pm, he added.
The strike followed a token protest programme held yesterday over the same issue.