Shortage of qualified nurses bites in Zanzibar

Zanzibar. Shortage of qualified nurses has seriously affected health service delivery in Zanzibar, the Isle’s health minister, Nassor Ahmed Mazrui has said.

The minister has also attributed the shortage with increased child mortality.

He said the situation was critical and called for multi-pronged intervention.

"The entire health services has been affected,” he said when he inaugurated new laboratory teaching facilities at the State University of Zanzibar (Suza).

The facilities will be used by nurses for mother and child services. The facilities were donated by a local organization called Wajamama in collaboration with the US-based Ariadne Labs and Laedral.

Mr Mazrui said the situation was serious such that even the available posts for the nurses could not be filled for lack of qualified applicants.

According to the minister, the shortage has affected government’s efforts to construct more hospitals and other health facilities.

"As a government we cannot hire nurses and medical specialists from within the Isles who are qualified at the degree level. We don't have them,” he affirmed.

He cited a recent case where his ministry placed an advertisement seeking 150 nursing degree holders but managed to get only 42 of them.

For the 20 available slots for specialist doctors, only four were found, he stated, adding that most of the hired nurses were diploma holders who were much involved in orderlies.

Orderlies are non-licensed hospital assistants who are instructed to perform delegated functions under direct supervision of those licensed.

Nurses who fall in the category are typically ward assistants, nurse assistants or health care assistants whose duties are confined to the wards, often doing bedding.

The minister partly attributed the increased child and mother mortality seen in the Isles in recent years to the shortage of qualified nurses and other medical specialists.

He said there were 1,567 and 46 childand mother deaths between July last year and March 2023 respectively reported in the Isles' medical facilities.

"It is time now for efforts to be increased to enroll more nursing students in our medical training institutions", he argued.

Deliberate efforts must be made to ensure the nursing profession is more attractive to students joining such training institutions.

Mr Mazrui lauded Wajamama organization for the donation, saying it would address the worrying levels of child and mother mortality in Zanzibar.

He said there were 50 and 1,363 reported deaths of mother and child respectively in the Isles in 2021/22 respectively, rising to 1,567 for kids and dropping slightly to 46 for mothers from July 2022 to March 2023.

He warned it would be meaningless for the government to invest in construction of hospitals and health centres and ordering huge quantities of medicines without the needed number of nurses and doctors.

The founder and CEO of Wajamama, Ms Nafisa Jiddawi said the medical supplies received from the American partners were worth Sh500 million.

She said there were plans to train more health care assistants, including nurses, under the programme following a successful training of 56 trainers.