Malawi nurses press for promotion

Lack of promotions among nurses and midwives is frustrating the health-care givers to offer good services, the National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi (Nonm) has bemoaned.

The association’s president Jonathan Abraham-Gama has since requested the Ministry of Health to promote nurses and midwives who have degrees but are still receiving salaries as technicians.

But Ministry of Health spokesperson Henry Chimbali said it is not possible to promote workers in the absence of the Health Service Commission.

“Once the Health Service Commission is put in place, it should be able to respond to such backlog,” said Chimbali.

In a letter to the ministry dated October 12, the Nonm president says the association was shocked to learn that nurses and midwives who went for upgrading training have not been considered for promotions.

Gama presented a sample list of 23 nurses and midwives he says deserve promotion as some of them graduated in 2008. He said the ministry promised to use Public Service Commission in the absence of the Health Commission but a year has passed without any action.

“Nonm is requesting the Ministry of Health to be sensitive to the needs of these nurses because due to these delayed promotions, the nurses are receiving less salary as compared to their degree certificates and their professional morale is really affected,” says Gama in the letter.