News / National
Shortage of nurses rocks clinic institutions in many parts of the country
24 Jun 2016 at 06:20hrs | Views
Many health institutions in the country especially the clinics in remote areas are reportedly operating under stringent conditions due to shortage of nursing staff.
This was revealed by a legislator Auxilia Mnangagwa in parliament when she asked the Minister of Health and Child care David Parirenyatwa if he was aware that there was serious shortage of nursing staff in many clinics.
Mngangagwa asked Parirenyatwa if he was aware that there is shortage of nurses in clinics in many constituencies and if it is possible for the Ministry to employ nurses who live in those areas.
"The Ministry is aware of the shortages of nurses in rural health centres and clinics. The shortages arise from the underlined reasons that the rural health centres and clinics with vacant and frozen posts, these posts cannot be filled as they are affected by the policy on the freeze of vacant posts," Parirenyatwa said.
"The majority of these posts are grant aided posts in mission and council health facilities. The Ministry continues to engage the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development over the matter."
He said the new rural health centres and clinics, some of whom have no authorised establishment, that is the second reason.
"A number of health centres and clinics were constructed with the input from communities in a bid to reduce travelling distances and increase access to health care. Provincial Medical Directors have had to withdraw nurses from other rural health centres and clinics to provide services in these areas. This increases the workload on those facilities and results in burn out of the staff concerned," said the minister.
"In some cases, nurses go for further studies for six months to a year. This will leave health facilities short staffed during the period when members are on an approved manpower development leave. We have also looked at the employment of nurses into those areas. We can consider this wherever possible, subject to availability of an authorised post and Treasury concurrence to fill the vacant posts."
This was revealed by a legislator Auxilia Mnangagwa in parliament when she asked the Minister of Health and Child care David Parirenyatwa if he was aware that there was serious shortage of nursing staff in many clinics.
Mngangagwa asked Parirenyatwa if he was aware that there is shortage of nurses in clinics in many constituencies and if it is possible for the Ministry to employ nurses who live in those areas.
"The Ministry is aware of the shortages of nurses in rural health centres and clinics. The shortages arise from the underlined reasons that the rural health centres and clinics with vacant and frozen posts, these posts cannot be filled as they are affected by the policy on the freeze of vacant posts," Parirenyatwa said.
"The majority of these posts are grant aided posts in mission and council health facilities. The Ministry continues to engage the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development over the matter."
He said the new rural health centres and clinics, some of whom have no authorised establishment, that is the second reason.
"A number of health centres and clinics were constructed with the input from communities in a bid to reduce travelling distances and increase access to health care. Provincial Medical Directors have had to withdraw nurses from other rural health centres and clinics to provide services in these areas. This increases the workload on those facilities and results in burn out of the staff concerned," said the minister.
"In some cases, nurses go for further studies for six months to a year. This will leave health facilities short staffed during the period when members are on an approved manpower development leave. We have also looked at the employment of nurses into those areas. We can consider this wherever possible, subject to availability of an authorised post and Treasury concurrence to fill the vacant posts."
Source - Byo24News
