OSHAKATI – Minister of Health and Social Services Dr Bernard Haufiku announced that the ministry will absorb the current unemployed medical staff as part of the massive recruitment of about 1000 vacancies.

Haufiku announced at Oshakati yesterday that permission has been granted to recruit at least 340 medical staff across the board latest early next year.

In an interview with New Era, Haufiku stressed that amongst those to be recruited include nurses, doctors, pharmacists and radiographists.

But for places like Okongo, Eenhana and Opuwo district hospitals, the minister said recruitment is likely to be done earlier as there is a critical need.

The 340 vacancies will cater for the current vacant positions within the ministry.
“For the vacant positions, funding is already readily available,” Haufiku emphasised.
He said filling the positions will ease the burden on some of the critical positions in the system.
He said the system has a shortage of medical staff such as doctors and pediatricians, leaving a pediatrician such as that at Oshakati to solely cater for a catchment of close to a million patients.

In addition to the already funded vacant positions, the ministry will further create 600 special positions to ease the burden the health sector is currently facing.

Equally, the minister also stressed on the importance of recruiting the 600 unemployed Community Health Workers.
Haufiku at the opening of the community-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) at Onakwamandi assured that the Community Health Workers that the ministry was looking into employing them.

Haufiku once again stressed that the Community Health Workers are important soldiers in the health sector.
“They are very important in empowering the community to be health conscious and preventing diseases in the communities,” said Haufiku.

The minister also appealed to hospitals still housing Primary Health Care facilities within the district hospital to do away with such practices, stressing that primary health care focus should be in the communities.