The Elegant Nurses Forum (ENF) has called for a thorough investigation into the death of twin babies who reportedly died after receiving injections during an immunisation exercise at the Ajangbadi Primary Health Care (PHC) facility in Lagos State.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the forum expressed condolences to the parents of the deceased infants, describing the incident as tragic and preventable.
According to ENF, the injection was administered by a Community Health Extension Worker (CHEW) and not a nurse, a clarification the group said was necessary to ensure accurate public understanding of the incident.
“The injection in question was administered by a CHEW and not by a nurse. This clarification is important to properly address the root cause of this recurring problem in primary healthcare delivery,” the statement said.
The forum raised concerns over what it described as the growing disregard for professional boundaries in primary healthcare facilities, warning that the practice of assigning clinical duties beyond approved scope of training poses serious risks to patient safety.
ENF also criticised government policies that, it said, have increasingly replaced nurses with CHEWs in primary health centres, including appointing them as heads of facilities, a move the group attributed to cost-cutting measures.
The group alleged that it had previously warned the Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board about the dangers of poor regulation and weak enforcement of professional standards, adding that those warnings were ignored.
As part of its demands, the forum called for an independent investigation into the incident, accountability for those responsible, enforcement of scope-of-practice regulations, and the removal of unqualified personnel from clinical roles meant for nurses. It also urged the government to employ more nurses and restore them as heads of PHCs across the state.
ENF stressed that patient safety must take precedence over cost-saving measures and warned that failure to take urgent action could result in further avoidable deaths.
The Lagos State Government has yet to officially respond to the incident at the time of filing this report.
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