Minister tells House court injunction will delay nurses recruitment

Minister of Health Peter Kumpalume has told parliament a court injunction obtained by a nurses body and the subsequent protracted court battle might delay the hiring of 200 nurses for public hospitals. [caption id="attachment_98082" align="alignright" width="265"] Kumpalume: To make ministerial statement[/caption] Kumpalume said this Tuesday when former vice president Khumbo Kachale, who is also Mzimba south MP, on a point of order, asked the minister to give an official statement on recruitment policy following media reports that the government has failed to recruit over 50 doctors and over 300 nurses. "As you might be aware, some people have stopped us from recruiting the nurses," said Kumpalume adding this court battle will delay the recruitment process of the nurses. On Monday, the Nurses Organisation of Nurses and Midwives sought the court injunction after the government called the nurses for interviews in Lilongwe, saying there was no need to interview them since the government had already offered them employment letters. However, in parliament, Ntchisi north MP challenged the minister, saying how could the government interview the nurses when it had already offered them jobs and posted them in various public health facilities. First deputy speaker Esther Mcheka Chilenje asked Kumpalume to give notice to the speaker's office so that the issue is put on order paper to allow Kumpalume make a ministerial statement on the issue of the nurses and medical doctors. Kumpalume said he was more than ready to make a statement on the matter.