Government has revealed that it is in negotiations with Angola and other countries to facilitate the employment of Zambian health personnel abroad as part of efforts to reduce unemployment in the sector.
Minister of Health Elijah Muchima said while government remains committed to employing more health workers, it is not possible to absorb everyone due to limited national resources.
Dr Muchima disclosed that the Angolan government had requested health specialists from Zambia.
“We are still lobbying other countries to see how we can reduce the number of unemployed health personnel, including volunteers, as we review the offers from Angola,” he said.
He added that although President Hakainde Hichilema had previously engaged Angola on the matter, some issues required further clarification and discussions are still ongoing.
Dr Muchima stated that exporting excess manpower is not a problem if the country has more trained personnel than it can currently employ, noting that such arrangements could also generate income for Zambia.
The minister reiterated government’s commitment to creating employment opportunities for health workers and said efforts are being made to mobilise resources, including outside the national budget.
He further confirmed that the recruitment of 2,000 health workers will be finalised this year once all procedures are completed, adding that volunteers will be considered among those to be employed, given their important contribution to the health sector.
Only inform us of such things when they are actualised please. In Election year there is a lot of loose talk