From Sola Ojo, Kaduna

A group of Journalists under the Health4All Media Initiative (HAMI) has described the Thursday adoption of two nurses in Kaduna health facility as counter-productive.

The group in a statement through its Secretary, Shola Ojo, expressed worry that the development may take the state aback in its efforts to improve health care services to the people resident in the State.

The group then called for the immediate release of kidnapped Kaduna nurses and other innocent Nigerians held in captivities across the state.

“According to the Medical Director of the facility, Doctor Shingyu Shamnom, the two nurses, whose details were yet to be announced as at the time of making this statement, were on the night shift at the General Hospital, Idon in Kajuru local government area of Kaduna State when gunmen suspected to be bandits stormed the facility in a commando manner and whisked them to yet to be identified destination”, he said.

He further said, “HAMI is worried about this development because it was coming at a time the media, civil society and development partners are working hard with the Kaduna State Government to ensure the availability and affordability of medical services across the state.

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“Unpleasant statistics by NURHI (Impact Now) and other researchers that Kaduna State loses 1,025 reproductive age women out of every 100,000 live births around pregnancy complications some of which occur as a result of non-availability of health workers at some primary health care centres after sunsets, call for a sober reflection.

“We call on individuals, corporate entities and other prime movers, to reason with us and support the state government with technological devices that can improve security in our hospitals, schools and other public infrastructure as a deliberate sustainable development.

“We call on the persons responsible for these attacks and their promoters to shift ground and allow innocent armless Nigerians who are struggling daily to earn a legitimate living to survive.

“We call on the Kaduna state government and security apparatuses to be more proactive by way of encouraging safe local intelligence gathering so they can step up their games ahead of sophisticated crimes in their areas of jurisdiction.

“Failure to take steps in protecting our health facilities in good time will further hinder availability and accessibility to health care services during armed conflict and civil disturbances thereby skyrocket the already worsening health statistics in Sub-Sahara Africa”.

HAMI is a group of seasoned health journalists who cut across electronic, print and new media working in collaboration with civil society and non-governmental organisations on improved healthcare service delivery in Kaduna State and Nigeria as a whole.