Minister of Health and Sanitation, Professor Alpha Wurie, while addressing health workers at the National Stadium last Tuesday, said government will recruit 3000 nurses by 2021 with a view to strengthening the health sector in the country.
Professor Wurie made the statement at the opening ceremony of a recruitment process organized by the Health Service Commission in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the Human Resource Management Office (HRMO) for the last batch of over 300 nurses in the Western Area.
The recruitment process came about as a result of a government policy for the recruitment of 4000 health workers including 2000 nurses who had been volunteering. Since then the Health Service Commission has been pioneering the process.
According to Professor Wurie, the recruitment process is not only to identify suitably qualified and committed state enrolled community health nurses, but to thank them for the dedication and relentless services they have been providing especially during this crisis period.
He referred to the medical profession as the most vital particularly when there is a public health emergency with nurses being in the frontline.
The Health Minister recalled that over the past years much premium was not put on the health sector and as a result of that government now considers to increase the workforce of the sector.
Despite the process being slow Professor Wurie reminded the nurses that much is expected of them to show high integrity, leadership and be role model in service delivery.
Since the commencement of the recruitment process last year over 2,500 candidates have been interviewed and all have been issued with PIN code by the Human Resource Management Office.
This, according to the Chairman of the Health Service Commission, Dr. Arthur Williams, is to discourage volunteering in all government hospitals and promote quality health service delivery thereby reducing infant and maternal mortality.
The Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Matron Mary Fullah underscored the importance of the recruitment and informed the nurses that after the completion of the process most of them will be posted to the provinces. PR29822The Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Thomas Samba, outlined the significance of the recruitment to enhance quality health outcomes and reminded the nurses of their sacred duty to save humanity especially at this time of crisis.
The Executive Secretary of Health Service Commission, Tommy Tengbeh, described state enrolled community health nurses as the largest cadre in the nursing profession and that the recruitment process is meant, among others, to promote quality health outcomes.
By Sallieu Kanu
23/6/2020. ISSUE NO.: 7851