. Chilufya

By JOWIT SALUSEKI –
DEPUTY Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya has directed the permanent secretary in the ministry to ensure that all nurses trained at huge cost by the Government sign a bondage pledge to tie them to State health facilities for a period of time.
Speaking  in Lusaka yesterday during the 43rd graduation ceremony for 170 students who graduated from the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Lusaka schools of nursing, Dr Chilufya said the bondage pledge was meant to ensure that graduates trained by Government, worked in State institutions to avoid brain drain.
Dr Chilufya said the Government was spending colossal sums of tax payer’s money in training nurses and therefore would not allow the nurses to join private health institutions upon their graduation.
He noted that the PF Government was committed to improving the infrastructure in various training institutions in order to increase the number of student enrollments.
Dr Chilufya said the Government was constructing a national training school for nurses at Chainama Hills in Lusaka that would be enrolling about 2000 students per year in various fields.
The Government is building infrastructure at UTH and construction of Sesheke School of Nursing is also nearing completion.
Dr Chilufya called for the broadening of specialisation in neo-natal nursing and reminded the graduates to serve patients and the nation diligently.
“You have on your own volition decided to serve the people in issues of health and the Government hopes you are well prepared to serve the patients and the nation with total dedication,” he said.
Meanwhile, UTH managing director Lackson Kasonka revealed that the nursing programme had produced a 95 per cent pass rate, attributing the achievement to dedication of the staff at UTH  and cooperating partners such as the Government and others such as Brighton University of Nursing Sciences in United Kingdom for its invaluable direction in development of new curriculum that saw the introduction of paediatrics nursing programme this year.
And Beatrice Zulu, a representative from the General Nursing Council said the organisation appreciated the Government for allowing the council to operate.
Of  the 170 Students who graduated, 41 were registered nurses, 46 midwives, 28 in operating theatre, 35 in critical care nursing and 21 clinical instructors. This year’s theme was ‘Nurse Education: Training a vital resource for Health’.