Union Welcomes Govt Re-hiring Of Fired And Retired Nurses

The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) has welcomed the decision by the government to extend its waiver on the re-appointment of health workers who had left the service to March 31, 2023, from September 30 this year.

ZINA president Enock Dongo told NewZimbabwe.com that the extension was the government’s admission that things were not well in the health sector. He said:

This is a clear admission on the part of government that things are not well in the health sector.

A lot of health workers have left for greener pastures and the private sector, leaving gaps that have not been filled.

Government’s call is very serious and we support the return of those who are eligible so as to give service to the public, the most affected by current shortages.

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These professionals have not just left services for no apparent reason; they left because of poor working conditions, poor remuneration, intimidation by the state and a general lack of dialogue between the employer and employee.

These have to be addressed, otherwise these re-appointments will be premature. If government fails to do so then they will either look at their colleagues who are still employed and opt not to join or join and leave again.

According to a letter signed by Health Services Board acting executive director, Angelbert Mbengwa, the government extended the waiver by six months. It reads:

It is noted that the Board extended the waiver of reappointment for former health workers who need to rejoin the service to Central Hospitals and Provincial Medical Directors for a period of six months from 01 April 2022 to 30 September 2022.

Please be advised that the waiver has been extended for a further period of six months from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023 to facilitate urgent appointments to fill vacant posts in institutions.

However, the reappointment of the following categories shall be centralized at the Board; all former nurses applying to rejoin the service, members who were discharged from the service on grounds of misconduct, convicted of a criminal offence, or terminated through medical grounds.

In view of the above, Central Hospitals and Provincial Medical Directors shall continue approving applications for reappointment of the other grades as communicated before. Institutions should thus submit the applications for the above two categories to the Board.

The General Manager of the Salary Service Bureau is therefore being instructed to accept reappointments authorised at stations in line with the above framework.

Zimbabwe’s public sector is experiencing an exodus of health workers fleeing poor working conditions and poor remuneration to better-paying countries in Europe, Namibia, and America, among others.