We Aren�t Obliged To Employ Private Nurses � Gov�t

Government says it is not under any obligation to employ trained nurses from private institutions into the public health system.

According to the Public Relations Officer of the Health Ministry, Tony Goodman, government will for now concentrate on employing nurses in the public sector, since it has signed an agreement to fulfill that obligation.

“Government is not the only employer when it comes to healthcare delivery and until we have people taken off the bond, you cannot put a private trained nurse leaving a public trained one” Goodman explained. 

Government’s decision comes on the back of demands by the Coalition of Unemployed Private Nurses for government to employ them.

The nurses also claim that government is discriminating against them by posting only nurses from public training institutions.

But Mr. Goodman indicated that government will continue to prioritize employing nurses from public training institutions.

“We have trained a particular number in the country and we are making all efforts to employ them into the system, but we will give opportunity to those we have bonded with. For now, the clearance that we have, we are making sure we post the public ones because they are under bond.”

He further advised private nurses to seek employment from private health facilities instead of depending on government.

Recently, over 2,000 nurses and midwives  trained by public institutions who  have not been employed, demonstrated against government for not engaging them.