Zimbabwe to export more than 2000 jobless nurses

ZIMBABWE is going ahead with plans to export more than 2 000 jobless nurses to other countries, an official has said.

The Director of Nursing Services in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare Mrs Cynthia Chasokela said a draft Memorandum of Understanding seeking to formalise nurses exportation to other countries is complete and now ready for presentation to cabinet.

She the nurses would be exported to many countries such as Swaziland, Lesotho, Trinidad and Tobago following their indication that they needed hundreds of nurses to work in their countries under a Government to Government agreement.

This development follows Government's decision to release about 2 000 nurses trained in the past two years from bonding.

Government is failing to provide the nurses jobs in public health institutions, leaving them jobless after training.

"In preparing the document we have engaged all the important stakeholders including the Attorney General's office, professors and other professional experts. The draft is now ready and will soon be presented to Cabinet," Mrs Chasokela said.

She said once approved, the MoU is expected to see an easy entry of local nurses into health systems of countries with an MOU with Zimbabwe.

She said nurses who are seeking jobs from these countries on their own are being harassed and are working under poor conditions.

"Most of them are having their passports forfeited once they are given a job, those at work are paid salaries of general hand workers yet they are performing duties of a trained nurse while others are barred from bringing in their spouses."

Mrs Chasokela said the MoU will also make it possible for Government to spell out exactly how the nurses will contribute towards taxes and other services back home.

Most of the nurses were rendered jobless on completion of their studies after Treasury introduced a freeze on recruitment.

The freeze forced the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare to temporarily uplift the bonding policy.

Nurses trained in Zimbabwe were supposed to be bonded for three years after which        they will be given their certificates and diplomas.

Mrs Chasokela said Government was also giving support letters to nurses who graduated in May 2012 going backwards intending to look for jobs elsewhere in the world.

Citing an example of midwives shortage, Mrs Chasokela said in line with the current burden Zimbabwe needed about 2 500 midwives.

However, the establishment in place was far below this figure with only 150 posts filled.

In 2012 alone Zimbabwe trained 1 022 nurses.