Nurses cry foul over recruitment freeze

The Namibia Nurses Union has questioned the health ministry’s decision to halt new recruitment, demanding a breakdown of nurses employed and vacancies still unfilled. Union secretary general Junias Shilunga says the ministry should provide a breakdown of recruitment figures by nursing category instead of presenting only the overall number of nurses employed. “The reality on the ground is that our public health facilities are battling a critical shortage of nurses, particularly enrolled nurses. Meanwhile, thousands of qualified nurses remain unemployed despite the urgent need for their services,” he says. Shilunga says filling vacant positions would improve the efficiency of health facilities and the quality of healthcare, while reducing burnout and excessive workloads among nurses, which he says often negatively affect their mental health.

“It is therefore deeply unfortunate and concerning that the ministry has decided to halt the recruitment of new nurses at a time when our public health facilities are already struggling with staff shortages,” he says. The Ministry of Health and Social Services has announced that new staff recruitment had been halted because of the government’s limited finances and adverse external economic developments affecting domestic revenue. Executive director of health and social services Penda Ithindi in a statement says recruitment would resume in the next financial year, beginning in April 2027. The ministry says N$259 million has been allocated for the recruitment of healthcare workers, including nurses, in the 2026/27 financial year. N$241 million, including the cost of filling positions that became vacant during the year, has been used. By the end of September 2026, about 1 770 healthcare workers have been recruited, including about 1 320…