adminSukoluhle Ndlovu Midlands Correspondent
Gweru Provincial Hospital is grappling with a shortage of nurses and support staff following the establishment of new departments like the cancer screening unit, hospital superintendent Dr Fabian Mashingaidze has said.
Government froze recruitment in the civil service, including that of nurses in 2011, leaving hospitals struggling to deliver service to the increasing number of patients.
In an interview yesterday, Dr Mashingaidze said there was need for more nurses and support staff at the institution, which was the main referral hospital for the Midlands Province.
“Most of the new departments that were opened are in need of nurses and support staff like nurse aides and general hands for them to run smoothly,” he said.
Dr Mashingaidze said Government should unfreeze recruitment for some critical posts to enable health institutions to run smoothly.
“We are appealing to the Government to unfreeze posts that were frozen so that we are able to recruit more staff to improve service delivery,” he said.
He urged the Government to also consider equipping and expanding provincial hospitals for them to deal with changing disease patterns.
Online Reporter