Government through the Ministry of Health says walk-in interviews for health workers, which were blocked by an injunction by serving workers, will be conducted from today to Saturday as earlier announced.
This comes as on Wednesday, 17 January, 2024, 122 serving health workers who were excluded from doing the interviews, obtained an injunction restraining government from proceeding with the planned walk-in interviews for healthcare workers.
However, according to a press statement signed by Secretary for Health Samson Mndolo, the walk-in interviews will proceed from this morning and says the development follows a cordial discussions between government officials and lawyers for aggrieved serving health care workers who had obtained an interim order stopping the exercise.
“The Ministry of Health is pleased to announce that the walk-in interviews for recruiting healthcare workers will proceed as scheduled. This follows cordial discussions with Messrs. Jivason & Company, lawyers for aggrieved serving healthcare workers, who obtained a court order from the Industrial Relations Court restraining the Ministry of Health from conducting the interviews.
“In the discussions that were moderated by the Honourable the Attorney General, the parties have agreed to have the court order lifted through a consent order having understood that the prospective recruitment of healthcare workers has been wholly funded by Malawi’s development partners,” reads part of the statement.
As one way of addressing the shortage of healthcare workers whose vacancy rate is currently at 48%, Government secured a grant from Global Fund to be applied towards recruiting additional healthcare workers and says it is arranging another interviews where serving workers will compete.
“Serving healthcare workers would be allowed to compete for promotion during promotional interviews to be conducted in due course. This would serve to comply with section 4 of the Public Service Act (Cap. 1:03 of the Laws of Malawi) which requires that entry into and advancement within the public service should be determined solely based on merit, namely, relative ability, knowledge, skill and aptitude after fair and open competition which assures that all citizens receive equal opportunity,” reads another part of the statement.
