19 Dec 2024

The Minster of Health says he is aware that nurses and midwives have been stagnant at C1 salary scale for more than 10 years.

Dr Stephen Modise said this affected service delivery as they were demoralised or demotivated hence provision of care was not satisfactory. He said this was evidenced by the exodus of nurses and midwives to local private and international institutions creating critical shortage of nurses and midwives.

Dr Modise said currently, the ministry had a limited number of positions at D4 salary scale to promote all stagnated C1 salary scale nurses. The minister said a decision was made to advertise the 50 positions to allow nurses and midwives to compete.

In addition, he said his ministry had developed a Nursing and Midwifery strategy, which proposed a nursing and midwifery structure to close leadership gaps and open more leadership positions including D4 positions.

He said the functional and deployment structures had been drafted and would be implemented in the 2025/26 financial year. Kanye West MP, Mr Victor Phologolo had asked the Minister of Health whether he was aware that there were more than 6 000 nurses and midwives who had been stagnant at C1 salary scale for more than 10 years.

He wanted to know how this had affected health service delivery and if there were any plans to elevate them. Ends