By JAMES KUNDA –

THE Zambia Union of Nurses Organisation (ZUNO) has called for the recruitment of additional nurses to enhance universal health delivery.
Meanwhile, the Government has reserved K52.5 million of the 2015 national Budget for the recruitment of over 2,000 health personnel to beef-up the current health workforce.
ZUNO president Thom Yung’ana said the success of universal health coverage would be hindered if staffing levels for nurses remained inadequate.
Mr Yung’ana was speaking in Luanshya yesterday during celebrations to mark the International Nurse Day which fell under the theme “Nurses: a force for change: Care effective, cost effective.”
“Hospitals with a higher ratio of nurses to patients have lower mortality rates while lower nurse staffing, increased workload, and unstable nursing unit environments have been linked to negative patient outcomes including medication errors.
“Communities demand excellence of nurses in patient care, and in turn nurses deserve that their working conditions and pay are commensurate with the quality of care,” he said.
Mr Yung’ana said the theme for this year’s event resonates with commitment for action to change health systems through increasing awareness among nurses on the landscape of healthcare delivery.
At the same occasion, Health Minister Joseph Kasonde said K4.5 billion of the Budget had been allocated towards the improvement of healthcare delivery in 2015.
“Of this, K52.5 million has been reserved for the net recruitment of over 2, 000 health personnel to add to the country’s current health workforce,” he said.
Dr Kasonde reiterated that Government recognised the role that nurses play in the quest for a healthy and productive nation.