Government moves to curb corruption in nurse training recruitment 

Source: Government moves to curb corruption in nurse training recruitment | The Sunday News

Dr Douglas Mombeshora

Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Senior Health Reporter

MORE than 100 000 aspiring trainee nurses apply for placement across the country’s training schools despite the limited capacity of around 1 200 available slots each year amid unsettling allegations that some are paying bribes of up to US$1 000 to be considered.

Official figures confirm that every intake season, two of Zimbabwe’s largest training institutions, Sally Mugabe and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare receive an average of 5 000 and 8 000 applications respectively despite their combined total enrolment capacity of only 80 students per intake.

Notably, there are two intakes at these schools each year.
Other training facilities, including Mpilo Central Hospital, United Bulawayo Hospitals and Ingutsheni Psychiatric Hospital in Bulawayo can only accommodate about 40 students each annually.

The overwhelming demand for nursing placements has prompted the Government to take decisive action against corruption that has plagued the recruitment process with efforts underway to decentralise the selection process and enforce stricter measures aimed at ensuring fairness and transparency.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care is currently recruiting student nurses, with thousands competing for the 600 available positions across all nursing schools in the country.

Most schools accept between 15 to 20 students per intake, while the largest ones — Sally Mugabe and Parirenyatwa — accept 35 and 45 students per intake respectively.

Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Douglas Mombeshora acknowledged that the recruitment process had previously been vulnerable to corrupt practices due to the high volume of applicants.
Some individuals reportedly resorted to bribery to secure their spots.

“To combat this issue, we decided to decentralise recruitment, previously managed centrally. Given the overwhelming number of applications, we have returned the process to the provinces, allowing each training school to conduct its interviews for direct applicants,” he said.

Decentralisation ensures that recruitment is managed at the local level, thereby reducing the risk of outside interference.
The overwhelming number of applications for Sally Mugabe and Parirenyatwa training schools highlights the demand per intake.

Dr Mombeshora further emphasised that each school must ensure a certain percentage of its intake consists of candidates from its local district to promote fairness and accessibility.

Acknowledging the challenges posed by past recruitment processes, he reiterated the Government’s commitment to addressing malpractice.

“We are striving to minimise corruption but it is challenging when we do not receive adequate information to identify those engaged in corrupt activities. Since I assumed office, we’ve only received a few reports. We need the public’s co-operation in reporting such cases,” he stated.

The Government’s initiatives not only aim to curb corruption but also ensure that nursing education remains accessible to deserving candidates, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Many aspiring nurses come from families that cannot afford university education, making nursing training — where students receive salaries — an attractive alternative.
“The moment a student is registered as a nurse, they are placed on a salary, providing them with an employment opportunity. Many talented students face barriers due to their families’ financial constraints. By decentralising the process, we are ensuring that recruitment is fair and inclusive, allowing more young people to enter the profession,” Dr Mombeshora said.