About 5000 skilled but unemployed nurses and midwives across the country have petitioned the ministry of health demanding permanent jobs.

Chairperson for the concerned health workers Peter Kabaghe told Zodiak Online that majority of them are being exploited.

“The country’s health system has a shortage of human resource and needs to be covered, but government is just exploiting us by giving us 40, 000 Kwacha for temporary employment” he said.

The group has since given government a 5th October ultimatum to permanently employ them.

“If it fails to give us permanent employment, we will withdraw our services from all the district hospitals and health centers,” he said.

Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Health Dr. Samson Mndolo finds the demands to employ all the 5000 health workers at once as unrealistic.

“The government is working on the matter, but the same cannot be done at once,” he stated.

Health rights activist Maziko Matemba has asked the authorities to find a long lasting solution on the matter.

“There must be a better way that the health workers have to be absorbed into the health system once they finish their education,” he said.

Some unemployed nurses through the National Organization of Nurses and Midwives in Malawi (NONM) tried to push for labour export deal, in a desperate move to find employment in other countries.
 
But government blocked the move stating that proper procedures were not followed, hinting that it (government) want to use proper channels (through government to government engagement).