Unemployed nursing officers who are being denied the opportunity to go and work in United States of America and Saudi Arabia say they are planing to hold vigils at Capital Hill in Lilongwe.
On Tuesday, May 23, 2023, representatives of close to 4000 unemployed nursing officers met officials from the Malawi’s Ministry of Health.
The meeting follows the group’s 27th April, 2023 press briefing in Blantyre where they made a fresh call for the Malawi government to either employ them or let them go and work from abroad.
The meeting with ministry of health officials was to map the way forward on the group’s grievances.
However, Malawi24 understands that the meeting has yielded nothing as the group has now written minister Chaponda expressing dissatisfaction with the outcomes of meeting.
In the letter to Chaponda which Malawi24 has seen, the unemployed nursing officers complained that the ministry is showing no seriousness in employing the them.
The letter further told Chaponda that the jobless nursing officers are in pains as the ministry seems to continue hindering the whole process of their exportation and has accused the ministry for playing the hide and game.
“We are looking for clear responses that can be used at a time when needed most. A hide and seek game won’t be of help.
“Unemployed Nursing Officers are dissatisfied with how the issues of employment, ratio and labor export were responded to and hence planning for next course of action even of which you might not like,” reads part of the letter to Chaponda.
In an interview with this publication, the group’s vice chairperson Lonjezo Justin said the group has arrived at the decision to hold vigils as away of expressing anger on “labour exploitation”.
Justin said the vigils whose dates will be announced very soon, are aimed at forcing the ministry of health authorities to address all their grievances.7
“We are not satisfied with the responses given and hence planning for vigils at capital hill and withdrawing from both upkeep and internship as these are forms of labour exploitation,” said Justin.
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