The Malawi Health Equity Network (Mhen) has urged the Ministry of Health to put in place adequate safety measures to prevent stampedes during walk-in interviews for various healthcare cadres scheduled for November 20 to 22.
In a statement co-signed yesterday by Mhen board chairperson Yandura Chipeta and executive director George Jobe, the organisation said the likelihood of large numbers attending the interviews should compel the ministry to ensure candidates are protected.
“Given the likelihood of large numbers of candidates attending the interviews, as experienced before, government should introduce proper crowd management measures, including staggered reporting times, organised queues, adequate security personnel, clear entry and exit points, and sufficient interview panels,” reads part of the statement.’
On Thursday, the Ministry of Health announced in a press release signed by Principal Secretary Dr. Dan Namarika it would conduct the interviews in all four regions of the country.
It said the interviews follow the securing of funds from the Global Fund, adding that the recruitment of healthcare workers would help ensure effective service delivery and equitable access to healthcare.
While commending the government for the planned recruitment, Mhen called for a merit-based recruitment process free from favouritism and political interference, as well as deliberate measures to improve staff retention, motivation and professional development.
The statement reads: “A stronger health system requires not only recruiting new health workers, but also recognising, motivating and creating career progression opportunities for those already serving Malawians.”
However, Mhen expressed concern about qualified healthcare workers already serving in the public health system who have upgraded their qualifications but remain in junior positions.
It said such workers should be given a fair opportunity to compete for senior positions.
It further said government should fill the junior positions to create additional employment opportunities while retaining experienced personnel within the health system.
Ministry of Health spokesperson Benedicto Mbewe said he would revert.
According to the ministry’s statement, interviews in the Southern Region will be held at Chichiri Secondary School Hall, Mulanje District Council Hall and Nchalo Teacher Development Centre (TDC).
However, the statement did not indicate how many healthcare workers are expected to be recruited.
In the Eastern Region, interviews will be conducted at Zomba Urban Secondary School, while in the Central Region they will be held at Kasungu TDC and Umbwi Secondary School Hall. In the Northern Region, interviews will take place at Katoto Secondary School Hall and Karonga Teachers’ Training College.
Among the healthcare workers targeted for recruitment are senior medical officers, senior biomedical engineers, clinical officers, laboratory technologists, nursing officers, health promotion officers, clinical technicians, pharmacy technicians, nurse-midwife technicians, assistant environmental health officers, laboratory technicians, biomedical technicians, medical assistants and community midwife assistants.
In recent years, the Ministry of Health has shifted from traditional one-on-one interviews to walk-in interviews for mass recruitment exercises, arguing that conventional recruitment methods would not be practical for such large-scale hiring.
National Advocacy Platform chairperson Benedicto Mbewe said the walk-in interviews exposed thousands of desperate youths to dangerous, unhealthy and dehumanising conditions.
Similarly, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences lecturer Andrew Kaponya said the approach poses risks to both candidates and interviewers.
