A group of unemployed nursing officers in Malawi has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the government’s decision to hire nurses on a temporary basis, citing low wages and lack of job security.
Chisomo Ndaladi, chairperson of the unemployed nursing officers, termed the move as “an insult” considering the critical role nurses play in the healthcare system.
The controversy erupted after it was established that some public hospitals, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Blantyre, are recruiting temporary nurses and midwives with salaries of K150,000 and K120,000 per month. Ndaladi emphasized that they deserve better pay.
“Instead of the government employing us fully, they are now offering k150,000 and K120,000 to Nurses with diplomas and degrees respectively. We don’t want peanut pay when the same profession can find us a good salary elsewhere. We say no to the exploitation of labour, and if they cannot employ u,s, then they should let us work abroad where we can be appreciated,” Ndaladi stated.
To intensify their demands, the group has organized a press conference for next Friday to outline their grievances and propose actions to compel the government to address their concerns.
The nursing officers have been calling on President Lazarus Chakwera to intervene, urging the government to either provide full-time employment or grant permission to work in countries like Saudi Arabia and the United States, where opportunities emerged in 2022.
However, the Malawi government claims it lacks the financial capacity to employ these nursing officers, who graduated between 2015 and 2021. Former Labor Minister Vera Kamtukule noted that the National Organization of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi (NONM) lacks the legal authority to facilitate labour exportation.
Interestingly, President Chakwera’s 2024 State of the Nation Address highlighted efforts to create jobs and facilitate labour export, including a pioneering deal with Israel to employ 100,000 young Malawians.
