The Zimbabwe Professional Nurses Union (ZPNU) has written to the Ministry of Health and Child Care seeking reforms and upgrading of nurses.
In a letter addressed to the Ministry’s permanent secretary and copied to the director of nursing services, ZPNU said they viewed Government’s lack of commitment to the upgrading of Primary Care Nurses as a violation of rights.
“We kindly ask your highest office to facilitate the upgrading of PCNs. Education is a fundamental right in terms of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. We view lack of commitment to upgrade PCNs as gross violation of rights of Primary Care Nurses to pursue their education as masters of their own destiny.
“We kindly advise the Ministry of Health to liberalize post basic training and ensure that nurses progress to degrees instead of hoarding diplomas. Offering of post basic qualification will ensure universal access to all nurses who want to upgrade themselves. The move will also address issues of nepotism and corruption around post basic training. Moreover, this upgrade will enable our nurses to meet world standards as they will be competitive,” said the nurses.
The union appealed to the Ministry to facilitate the issuance of Diplomas to nurses who have completed bonding.
“We are informed by our members that those who have already completed bonding are being denied access to their Diplomas. We kindly request your highest office to facilitate a smooth flow to the issuance of Diplomas, to those who have completed bonding,” ZPNU said.
According to the regulations nurses are trained free of charge for three years and are bonded for the same number of years before they are issue with their certificates.
Nurses who intend to leave the country have been seeking clearance from the Nurses and Midwives’ Council but to no avail with the council claiming that most of the applicants were ineligible because they did not meet requirements.
