THE Ministry of Health and Child Care has scrapped the centralised nurses’ online application system in an effort to decentralise the recruitment of nurses and cater for applicants from across the country.
The online application system has been heavily criticised by the public for being exclusionary as qualified locals were failing to secure places at training schools in their areas.
The nurses’ recruitment drive has been under scrutiny after a pattern emerged that the bulk of trainee nurses recruited at local hospitals were from other areas.
In a statement, the ministry said the January 2024 general nurse training intake will be province-based.
“Provinces will recruit in January, May or September depending on availability of training posts,” read part of the statement.
A total of 292 training posts are available for the January 2024 intake at 12 training institutions in seven provinces which are Bulawayo, Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Masvingo, and Midlands.
Applicants for the three-year diploma in general nurse training should meet the minimum qualification; five Ordinary level subjects, which include English, Science and Mathematics.
“Candidates must be aged between 18 and 30 years on the date of commencement of training, which is 8 January, 2024,” reads the statement.
Zimbabwe Nurses Association (Zina) president Mr Enock Dongo said the move is a step in the right direction.
“Long back recruitment was done physically but due to corruption and complaints from the public, the Government introduced the centralised e-recruitment system,” he said.
“However, over the years, there has been an outcry from disadvantaged citizens, who either have no internet or gadgets to access the system. This is why you see the ministry has decided to revert back to the old system which was decentralised,” said Mr Dongo.
He said through the decentralised recruitment system people from various provinces were likely to secure training posts and possibly secure jobs.
“You could find someone from Harare working in Kezi yet there are people from that area that have the qualifications to train as nurses,” said Mr Dongo. Chronicle
