Recruitment freeze affects Malawi public hospitals
A government directive issued last April, freezing recruitment of fresh graduates, is straining operations of already understaffed Christian Health Association of Malawi (Cham) and public health facilities, Nation on Sunday has learnt.
It is said the directive has also rendered fresh graduates jobless as they cannot immediately be absorbed into the system.
Government, through the Department of Human Resource Management and Development (DHRMD), issued the directive to stop further recruitments [as a means of cost-cutting measures], but Cham executive director Dr. Mwai Makoka said in an interview this week the directive is proving to be counterproductive as Cham hospitals across the nation are not able to respond to service demands.
The Ministry of Health said it is equally concerned about the directive, which it said was also applicable to all graduates.
But principal secretary (PS) for DHRMD Sam Madula said critical ministries such as those of Health and Education were exempted from the directive, saying all they are required to do is to write his department when they want to recruit.
Madula said the requirement to write the department extends to ministries and government departments that are recruiting on need-basis.
He said through the directive, Capital Hill is discouraging wanton human resource recruitment in line with the ongoing Civil Service Reforms Programme.
But Makoka said it is unfortunate that the directive has not yet been lifted as Cham hospitals can hardly get enough skilled staff to run their programmes that include anti-retroviral therapy (ART), nutrition and different vaccination services.
Ministry of Health spokesperson Henry Chimbali said in a response to a questionnaire: “It [the directive] is affecting all graduates and we have sought authorisation from the Department of Human Resource Management and Development to allow us to go ahead with our recruitment plan for this year.
“We are waiting for the feedback and as soon as we get that, we will go ahead to recruit them [fresh graduates].”
Chimbali said the ministry is aware of frustrations fresh graduates may be facing, but assured them that their services are highly required and they will be recruited as soon as the administrative approval is granted.
But Madula said: “Actually, there is a programme where retired nurses are being recalled to fill the gaps, and why should we fail to recruit these fresh graduates?”
The PS argued that Cham hospitals are equally recruiting.
The nurse-to-patient ratio in Malawi stands at as high as 34 nurses per 100 000 patients, according to the Global Aids Interfaith Alliance (Gala) data as of March 2014. A Public Services International Research Unit report on 2010 also said that a vacancy rate of health workers in rural Malawi stands at 60 percent.
The internationally recommended ratio is 500 nurses to 100 000 patients or one nurse per 200 patients.
Health Rights Initiative director Charles Nyirenda said in an interview yesterday the nurse-to-patient or doctor-to–patient ratio in Malawi is not improving.
Nyirenda, who had no figures handy, said this contributes to declining standards in service provision and brain drain of serving personnel to private and non-governmental organisations.
