Maravi

(HERALD) Over 2 000 graduate nurses jobless

Over 2 000 graduate nurses jobless
Monday, 13 June 2011 23:04
By Peter Matambanadzo

OVER 2 000 graduate nurses countrywide bonded by the Government after training remain jobless becau-se health institutions have frozen recruitment. More than 500 nurses graduate from mission and Government hospitals annually. Government has frozen about 400 nurses' and doctors' posts nation wide since June last year.

The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare said the Ministry of Finance had unfrozen 205 posts for registered general nurses, 115 State certified nurses, 17 primary care nurses and 42 doctors. According to records, 8 056 nurses are employed throughout Zimbabwe against an establishment of 7 688.

This is a clear indication that all nurses who are graduating from nursing schools cannot be absorbed into available health institutions.

This has forced the graduate nurses to petition the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare demanding to be released from the bonds and be allowed to seek employment elsewhere.

Health and Child Welfare Deputy Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora recently said the Government was aware of the nurses' plight.

"We are currently engaging the Ministry of Fina-nce to assist us. So we should be able to inform them of any latest developments soon," Dr Mombeshora said.

He said Government was "tirelessly" working towards addressing the issue.

He could not disclose details of a meeting he had with Permanent Secretary Dr Gerald Gwinji on the matter.

The nurses' group representative, Mr Norest Makanga, in a letter to the ministry, said they had raised concerns with the ministry on several occasions with no joy.

"We are qualified nurses since December 2010 and we have not been employed up to now. We are seeking your response to our issue. We went to all departments responsible for employment, that is human resources and public service who just say the posts are frozen due to lack of finance.

"We approached the permanent secretary in the form of a written letter asking for our diplomas so that we seek employment elsewhere within the re-gion but all was in vain," Mr Makanga said.

He said they wanted Government to respond to their plight and inform them how they were going to deal with the increasing number of jobless nurses.

"We understand we are about 2 000 nurses countrywide who are qualified and are yet to be employed. When we reported to the various institutions that we were assigned, we were turned away as we were told that the posts have been frozen due to lack of funds," he said.

He said another problem was that when they enrolled at the training schools, they signed contracts that stated that they had been bonded for three years post-qualifying.

Nurses train for three years for a registered general nurse's course.

"The idea of keeping us bonded is a clear indication of us being employed by your ministry. We need money to pay rent, food, water and electricity bills, pay school fees and even taking care of our fami- lies.

"Most of us are parents and things are hard for us without employment," he said.

Labels: NURSES

posted by MrK @ 12:50 AM