Unemployed qualified nurses in the country are demanding justice and transparency in the recruitment of medical staff, accusing the Ministry of Health of reabsorbing unlicensed cadres despite a court order halting the process. The grouping chairperson, Chisomo Ndaladi, said the ministry has ignored both the June 30, 2025 High Court ruling and the Attorney General’s directive to replace unqualified workers with licensed personnel.

 

 “We are pleading with the President, Professor Peter Mutharika, to intervene,” said Ndaladi. “The replacements were supposed to start work on July 1, but up to now in October, nothing has happened. This is injustice.”

 

She further alleged that some of the barred cadres have been reabsorbed in Phalombe, Nkhotakota, and Dowa after obtaining documentation, calling the move “deliberate and corrupt.”

 

Ndaladi said the prolonged delay in recruiting licensed nurses is worsening the staffing crisis in health facilities and denying Malawians access to qualified healthcare.

 

“A primary concern is the significant delay in deploying over two hundred qualified health workers, including nurses. This delay has created a critical operational gap that directly impacts healthcare delivery,” she said.

 

She called on the ministry to comply with the Attorney General’s directive by halting the employment of unlicensed personnel and replacing them with qualified, unemployed nurses and midwives. Ndaladi also urged the Ministry to prioritize the recruitment of licensed nurses who are currently unemployed.

 

She demanded for transparency and merit-based recruitment processes that are free from political or personal influence, and asked the Ministry to make timely and clear decisions on all recruitment matters to avoid unnecessary delays that undermine the law.

 

Furthermore, Ndaladi urged the Ministry to launch an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities and deliberate delays in documentation and recruitment, so that those found to have acted in contempt of the law are held accountable.

 

She also appealed to the Ministry to fast-track opportunities for nurses to work abroad, saying such programmes could help maintain professional competence and improve the quality of healthcare delivery.

 

 “Without opportunities for clinical practice, nurses risk losing essential skills,” added Ndaladi."

 

However, Ministry of Health spokesperson Adrian Chikumbe dismissed the allegations, saying all councils were instructed not to employ anyone without valid qualifications or practising licences.

 

 “The Ministry issued clear guidance. If anyone without a licence is working, the responsible councils should be held accountable — not the Ministry,” said Chikumbe.