Israel opens door for nurses’ export

Israel has offered Malawi a window of opportunity to export nurses to work in Israeli hospitals, a development Lilongwe says will ease the high unemployment rate among professional nurses.

An agreement that will facilitate this export was signed yesterday in Lilongwe and forms as a major highlight of engagements for the visiting Israeli Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sharren Haskel.

In an interview after the signing ceremony, Haskel said the new agreement provides a framework for the Government-to-Government (G2) arrangement in the exportation of labour.

She said one of the available opportunities is labour in the medical field with nurses as a target, adding that Malawi is a priority for this labour export deal.

Said Haskel: “I think this is a great opportunity for Israelis to experience high quality care from Malawian nurses and also exchange cultures. I think it is also an opportunity for Malawian workers to experience the holy land.”

While details are sketchy, including how many nurses will benefit from this new window of opportunity, Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said the plan is to export a group of nurses who will work in Israel for a specified period and return home to share the experience.

The minister said this will also ease pressure from government to absorb into the system all qualified nurses available in the country.

This new window of opportunity comes on top of another struggling labour export deal where Malawi is expected to send up to 3 000 Malawians to work in agricultural fields.

However, only about 39 workers have been sent to Israel under a G2G agreement signed last April. Prior to the G2G agreement, private recruiters were responsible for the export and more than a thousand workers were exported.

In a recent interview, Minister of Labour Peter Dimba expressed preference for the private sector-led recruitment, arguing that it was more efficient.

During a reception in Lilongwe on Sunday evening, Haskel and the Israeli Ambassador to Malawi Michael Lotem, who is resident in Kenya, hailed Malawi for supporting their country during the war against Hamas which has been going on since October 2023.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Nancy Tembo assured Israel that it is one of Malawi’s greatest partners; hence, the commitment to nurture the diplomatic ties.

Malawi has been in the international limelight for standing by Israel on United Nations resolutions.