Nurses on Chakwera’s neck for blocking them from seeking employment in USA

National Organization of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi ( NONM) has written the Tonse Alliance government of President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera through the Ministry of Health demanding explanation on why they have denied the move to send nurses and midwives abroad.

The organization had plans to export 3,000 unemployed nurses to USA and Saudi Arabia, a move which government through ministry of labour has denied.

According to an internal memo seen by this publication, NONM want answers on why the move has been stopped by government when the same government has no urgent intentions to employ them amid the country’s economic crisis.

“If the Ministry of labour continues barring NONM on the plans to export a huge chunk of unemployed nurses and midwives, we demand that the ministry should employ the same number of nurses and midwives NONM intended to export,” reads part of the memo.

The concerned unemployed Nurses and Midwives are from seven cohorts ( 2015-2021) who according to information on the memo, others are jobless, some who have been, and are still working in different public and CHAM hospitals across Malawi on upkeep/locum basis.

“Having hold our patience for long, we, concerned unemployed Nurses and Midwives, have decided to write this letter informing on our cross-cutting concerns for possible and permanent solutions,” the memo added.

They have therefore, appealed to the Ministry of health to respond and address their concerns with urgency within five days from 1st August, 2022 or else they will be forced to call for a next but unspecified course of action.