SHORTAGE OF NURSES

Sir,

I am so disappointed by the Ministry of Health for being careless about so many issues that are happening in the ministry. Most government health facilities have no medical supplies whereas some months back it was reported in the media that a lot of drugs had expired at the Central Medical Stores. Where are the people responsible for this? Shelves are empty in public clinics and hospitals, more especially medication for children; ‘supplements such as vitamin B complex, multivite, calcium gluconate, bently benzoate etc.

Nursing department: I really want to understand why the office of the chief nursing officer is not recommending the promotion of nurses since there so many vacant posts for matrons and nursing sisters. Many facilities in the country have no nursing sisters to supervise those public clinics. Some facilities and regions have no matrons. Is it appropriate to promote an officer who has six months left before they retire? This is what is happening.

Another issue noted is the poor deployment of nurses in the country’s health facilities. It is the duty of the chief nursing officer to deploy nurses. But what we have noted recently is that nurses in regional clinics were deployed instead of the regional matrons who are familiar with the clinics. The shortage of nurses in the facilities is caused by poor deployment. Most young nurses are deployed to head programmes and become coordinators, leaving their facilities. But all this is caused by the regional matrons. There are also nurses in the Blood Bank department with different specialties that can be of good assistance in the facilities. Now we are noticing that this habit of placing nursing sisters in the regions to be focal persons of certain programmes is increasing whereas many clinics have no nursing sisters.

Rural clinics: Nurses do not want to be deployed to rural clinics and one wonders who is supposed to work in those clinics? Surprisingly they also want to be considered for promotions.
Everybody wants to work near home but it is impossible because there are also citizens in the communities who need health services.

Recommedations:
* The ministry must provide all essential drugs in the country’s healthcare facilities.
* The office of the chief nursing officer must fill vacant posts timely with the help of the Ministry of Public Service.
* Promotions must be on merit and qualifications.
*Vacant posts in the ministry must be advertised by the Civil Service Commission through the country’s media.
* Deployment of nurses to clinics must be done by the regional matrons.
* 25 per cent nursing allowance must be removed from all nurses and nursing sisters who are on programmes such as EPI; NCD, schools health, SRHU, TB programme, blood bank etc.
* Regional matrons must be provided with transport to supervise the clinics.

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