After Vice President Constantino Chiwenga fired all the nurses who were on strike, the government has moved quickly to replace the nurses. According to the acting secretary for the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Mrs S Makarawo, all the nurses who missed work on Monday and Tuesday have been fired. Here is the recruitment circular which has been sent to all Chief Executive Officers of government hospitals and Provincial Medical Directors reads:
RE: ESTABLISHMENT CONTROL: RECRUITMENT OF NURSES – RETIRED AND UNEMPLOYED
Reference is made to the press statement by the press statement by the Vice President Honourable C G D Chiwengo on 17 April 2018. A copy is attached for ease of reference.
You are requested to recruit nurses to cover the gaps to created by the nurses who were summarily discharged. Please ensure that your relevant teams are in place to facilitate the recruitment and assumption of duty with effect from 18 April 2018 by retired and unemployed nurses.
Should any retired nurses report to your offices, you can recruit up to the maximum number provided below as you await a final deployment list to be sent before mid-day.
1. Central Hospitals 30
2. Provincial Hospitals 20
3. District Hospitals 15
4. Rural Hospitals 5
5. Rural Health Centres/Clinics 1/2Please note that the recruitment is meant to replace those who have been summarily dismissed.
Any nurses who were expected on duty on the 16th and 1, and did not report as instructed are deemed to have been summarily dismissed.