By KAIKO NAMUSA –
THE Ministry of Health has recruited 305 registered nurses following the dismissal of 594 nurses early this month.
Ministry of Health spokesperson, Reuben Mbewe, said an additional 249 registered nurses were in the process of being recruited to cushion the impact on health provision after the dismissals .
The 594 dismissed nurses were from 11 health institutions in five provinces, namely, Eastern, Southern, Northern, Lusaka and the Copperbelt.
The nurses participated in a 10-day illegal strike to press the Government to increase their salaries.
Dr Mbewe said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that the Ministry of Health, the Public Service Management Division, the Public Service Commission and the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health, had partnered to handle the recruitment exercise.
“305 registered nurses have been recruited and letters have since been distributed and they have started reporting. We are in the process of recruiting a further 249 registered nurses.
“The letters of appointment will be ready by Tuesday and should be collected from the Ministry of Health and 50 certified midwives have been recruited and posted,” Dr Mbewe said.
He appealed to those that had been appointed to report to their respective posts immediately, adding that theatre nurses, who had graduated, were as well requested to report to their various stations immediately.
“With these recruitment’s all the institutions that were affected have been taken care of. We also want to inform the nation that the recruitment of nurses and other medical staff will continue,” he said.
He said about 300 nurses had appealed to have their dismissal cases heard as such the Public Service Commission would be considering the appeals this week and feedback would be communicated by Friday this week.
“Once again we would like to make an earnest appeal to those nurses who have been recently appointed to report to their stations immediately,” he said.
The University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka where the majority of the nurses were dismissed recently appealed to the Government to employee more nurses following the dismissal of more than 200 nurses.
