Health Ministry in shambles Augetto Graig Thursday, October 2, 2014 - 08:00 News The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) is in shambles, with senior nurses feeling undermined and unappreciated following recent re-grading exercises, a major restructuring on the cards that nobody can say what it is for, or how extensive it is, and communication channels unresponsive to all enquiries. Senior nursing staff at state hospitals countrywide are up in arms after it emerged that the recent national re-grading exercise will leave them all on the same level, with no one in authority and unclear leadership amongst ward-based nursing staff. Senior nurses in Windhoek told Informanté that the old system provided for junior ranks of nurses as enrolled nurses and above them registered nurses. These positions are unaffected by the re-grading but above them all principal registered nurses, chief registered nurses, control registered nurses, senior control registered nurses and chief control registered nurses are now lumped together as chief control registered nurses, senior control registered nurses and control registered nurses. This despite vast differences in terms of experience held by staff currently in those positions. “Now there is no line of command and no one is supervising anyone. We were at the top levels after years of services, but now with the re-grading some principal registered nurses are paid more than us,” one angry nursing veteran complained. Adding insult to injury the senior personnel will have to reapply to keep their old positions in the new structure. Older nurses fear that this process will favour ‘good talkers’ and Unam graduates who now boast degrees impossible to get during the country’s colonial past. Another problem is the disruption of chain of command. “Now we are all Grade 7 and we are grouped together with people from lower levels. Functions were not clarified with regard to the re-grading,” said another nurse. They said the Health permanent secretary Andrew Ndishishi told them in May this year that everything would be fixed through an upcoming restructuring of the ministry. However, the PS did not grant the group an appointment and no further information was forthcoming.
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 06:20:48 +0000
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