RDAZ DEFENDS GOVT ON ALLEGED SECRET RECRUITMENT OF HEALTH WORKERS

By JOHN KOMBE

THERE is nothing sinister about replacement of health workers as these are emergencies that are ordinarily not advertised, Resident Doctors Association of Zambia president (RDAZ), Dr Brian Sampa, has said.

Dr. Sampa made the observation in an interview yesterday and said that the mass employment of health workers is a different matter that cannot be done secretly.

 He was commenting on complaints by some unemployed health workers that there were secret recruitments according to social media.

He said that the Ministry of Health is not in the wrong by replacing health workers without advertising the positions.

Dr. Sampa said that this was the standard procedure as deaths, resignations and dismissals need urgent replacement that do not warrant advertising.

He assured the unemployed heath workers not to fall prey to rumours of secret recruitments as replacements will continue to take place.

Dr. Sampa however noted that these anxieties were due to the uncertainties surrounding the pending country-wide recruitment.

Dr. Sampa however expressed shock that some senior government officials had also fallen prey to the rumours thereby creating anxiety among the unemployed health workers and the public.

He said that statements by government officials had a potential to mislead the public and as such must be well guided.

Dr. Sampa said that people had a lot of faith in government officials and as such their statements were taken as gospel truth. 

Meanwhile, some volunteer nurses in Rufunsa who spoke on condition of anonymity said that they were worried that they may not get employed because the employment exercise was becoming secretive. 

One of them said that they recently received a nurse at their facility who had a recent letter of appointment.

 He said that this made them to believe that indeed there was secret recruitment going on in the ministry.