The Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, has commended the resilience and commitment of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (FCT), particularly those working with HSES, for bringing honor to Abuja by securing the prestigious Daisy Award for the FCT, despite numerous nominations from other states.
Dr. Fasawe made this statement during the presentation of the international award to Mrs. Rosemary Okorafor, a registered nurse from Karchi General Hospital, who surpassed other contenders by meeting all the requirements for the award.
The 49-year-old Assistant Director of Nursing became the first Nigerian to ever receive this international award.
The Daisy Award is given to nurses who exemplify core values and consistently demonstrate excellence in patient care and nursing practice.
The award was presented by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America (NANNA).
Presenting the award, the association representatives, Dr. Emikia Iwu (board member) and Dr. Esther Oshunluyi (Chair of the Health Mission Committee) confirmed that the selection guidelines were strictly followed and expressed satisfaction that the best candidate was chosen.
They emphasized that the award aims to encourage and reward dedicated nurses while addressing the issue of nurses leaving the country for better opportunities abroad.
In recognition of their commitment, other nominees were also decorated with the Daisy Foundation chest pin.
The Director of Administration, Mr. Oguniran Akinkunmi, representing the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Baba Gana-Adam expressed the secretariat’s gratitude and noted that the award reflects the effective service delivery of health facilities in the FCT.
He added that health workers in the FCT have been empowered to tackle the diverse challenges of the city, and the recipient’s virtues mirror the general attitude of health workers within the FCTA.
Similarly, Dr. Fasawe reiterated the government’s commitment to providing basic hospital supplies, such as bandages, gloves, plasters, and methylated spirit, among others and issued a stern warning to all hospital administrators to comply with this directive and stop charging patients for these consumables or face the full consequences of the law.
“I strongly condemn and issue a firm warning to violators of the government’s directive that patients should not be coerced or forced to provide basic medical consumables, particularly the relatives of patients in emergency wards, who are already distressed by the condition of their loved ones and financially strained,” she said.
The Mandate Secretary further stated that the monitoring team would soon visit hospitals to ensure full compliance with the directive and encouraged patients’ relatives and friends to report any violations to management.
To curb such practices, the secretariat has posted information notices in all facilities with contact numbers to report these issues.
