Govt mitigates human resource crisis in health sector

—-Government says it has put all necessary measures in place to mitigate the human resource crisis in the health sector by the year 2020.

Health Minister, Joseph Kasonde, said government is deeply aware of the low staffing levels in various health institutions across the country hence the need for a serious human resource strategic development plan.

Dr. Kasonde said government has already rolled out an extensive programme that will ensure that staff production is in line with the ever-increasing demand of the health needs of members of society.

ZANIS Reports that the minister was speaking in Lusaka today in a speech read on his behalf by Health Permanent Secretary, Peter Mwaba, at the launch of the National Training Operational Plan (NTOP) for 2013 to 2016.

Dr Kasonde explained that the national operational training plan is aimed at increasing the number of graduates from both grant-funded and non grant-funded health training institutions in the country.

He further said the NTOP programme is expected to help the ministry produce a total of 10, 000 health workers to meet the required national human resource recruitment exercise by the year 2020.

Meanwhile, Dr Kasonde has praised the donor community for supplementing government’s efforts in alleviating the health personnel crisis in the country.

Dr Kasonde said the donor community has demonstrated its noble and collateral partnership by supporting the national scale up plan of health workers in the country.