Anambra Health Workers To Shutdown Health Facilities In The State

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

“If by midnight on Thursday September 4, 2025, our demands are unmet, we will have no option but to commence an industrial action across all health facilities in the state where our members work”.

With the above words, the Anambra State Health Workers Union issued an ultimatum to the Anambra State Government to address its members demands, or face the unpalatable consequences of locking down the Health sector.

In a statement jointly issued by the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals NUAP, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, and Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria MHWUN, the health workers premised their grievances on the failure of the state Government to implement in full the Consolidated Health Salary Structure CONHSS .

According to them, failure to attend to the demands of the workers, they will be left with  no other alternative than to shut down all health facilities in the State.

Similarly, the workers are demanding the implementation of the 25 per cent  increase within the CONHESS salary structure.

The workers demands also include the implementation of a revised hazard allowance for health professionals , enhancement of call duty and shift allowances, internship provisions for fresh graduates ,and promotion opportunities.

They are demanding an immediate employment of additional health workers to ease the present pressure on the existing workforce which they consider to be  grossly inadequate.

The workers union emphasized that the dateline has become necessary in the face of the state Government’s continued failure to attend to the demands of the workers , despite several olive branches extended.

According to the health workers leadership, all previous efforts to resolve the situation before now had all ended without any results, with the State authorities showing little or no commitment.

However, the Unions noted that their frustration got to a head in July 2024, leading to the  issuance of the second  ultimatum from August 1, to August 15 2025 .

“Before the expiry of the ultimatum, the State Commissioner for Health convened a meeting with union leaders in his office.

The outcome of that meeting was communicated to the members of the organized labour at an expanded State Executive Council meeting ,but it was met with complete opposition and outright rejection.

“It was, therefore, resolved during the session of the expanded State Executive Council meeting,that a third ( 15-day) ultimatum be served on the State Government, effective from August 20,2025 to Wednesday September 3 2025”, the health workers leadership stated

This is as the unions lamented the state Government’s discriminatory treatment  against health workers in the State.

They expressed deep regrets that most health workers in the state do no not earn a daily income of more than N 10 000 , unlike the situation in other parts of the country.