The Sunday Mail
Bulawayo bureau
THE Government has directed nurse training institutions to reduce enrolment of student nurses by over 80 percent.
The move is aimed at dealing with the swirling numbers of qualified nurses who have not been employed due to the vacancy freeze in the civil service.
More than 2 800 qualified nurses are jobless after Government imposed a freeze on recruitment of nurses.
On average, Government’s 15 nurse training institutions admit about 60 students per intake twice a year, but have since been ordered to admit not more than 10 students per intake.
The order is effective this September when nursing schools invite new intakes.
Qualified nurses who have not been practicing for at least three consecutive years will now also be required to undergo retraining before they start work.
Ministry of Health and Child Care officials told our Bulawayo bureau last week that the move to cut enrolment of student nurses was due to lack of funds. Last year, about 600 health workers’ posts were declared vacant but the posts have not been filled as Treasury is yet to secure funds to allow the Health Service Board (HSB) to recruit.
“We have been told not to enrol more than 10 students because of lack of resources. The main reason is that Government cannot continue to train nurses who will be jobless at the end of the day,” said an official in the ministry.
“We cannot continue to train people so that they will sit at home. So the idea is to train a few, while modalities on absorbing the jobless ones are worked on
Health Services Board (HSB) public relations executive, Mr Nyasha Maravanyika could neither confirm nor deny the latest developments referring the matter to the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Gerald Gwinji.
“That is an administrative issue which is dealt with by the Ministry of Health and Child Care. I suggest you contact the permanent secretary. He will be the best person to give you an answer on those issues,” said Mr Maravanyika.
Dr Gwinji was, however, unavailable for comment as his mobile phone went unanswered until the time of going to print.
Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) president, Mrs Regina Smith said Government should be putting more effort on reviewing the nurses’ establishment instead of reducing enrolment at nursing training institutions.
The HSB is on record calling on Government to unfreeze nursing vacancies and employ the redundant qualified nurses.
