Govt hires 120 nurses

GOVERNMENT has so far recruited 120 previously unemployed nurses in Manicaland to improve the staff complement in public hospitals following the re-engagement of nurses who had been dismissed over last week’s industrial.

The Ministry of Health and Child care this week gave hospitals specific quotas in addition to already existing establishments to recruit more nurses from those qualified but unemployed and retired nurses between the ages of 55 and 70.

Manicaland provincial medical director Dr Patron Mafaune yesterday told The Herald that the situation at all hospitals in the province was back to normal with most nurses who had participated in the industrial action back at work. She said the recruitment of more nurses was on course.

“Most of the nurses who participated in the strike re-applied and have reported for duty. We have also been recruiting as per Government’s instruction to take on board nurses who were unemployed,” she said.

“As of yesterday (Tuesday), we had recruited 120 nurses in all districts and the exercise is still going on because we have a target to recruit 161 nurses and 79 primary care nurses.”

She said the province had not recruited any retired nurses during the period of the industrial action, as the hospitals had been run by those nurses who had returned from leave and off days.

Normalcy returned to public hospitals across the country this week following the end of the industrial action by nurses. The recruitment of more nurses has been welcomed as most hospitals were shortstaffed, a situationwhich has contributed to the deterioration of healthcare services offered to patients.