Solve delay in nurses’ registration, says Zibe
PROLONGED nurses’ registration is an issue to which the Minister for Health Sasa Zibe wants a permanent solution.
He said each year many nurses pass out of training institutions but found it difficult to enter the health sector because of the stringent criteria set by the regulatory PNG Nursing Council (PNGNC).
Mr Zibe voiced his concern, saying there was no proper dialogue and understanding between the PNGNC and the training institutions to resolve these issues, which had affected many trained nurses, who were waiting for registration.
He made the statement at the ninth graduation of 90 nurses at the Divine Word University (DWU) in Madang last week.
The graduates were mainly from the DWU- affiliated Madang School of Nursing and 22 from St Mary’s Vunapope School of Nursing in Kokopo, East New Britain.
They had paid there own fees to be at the graduation to receive their awards.
During his discussions with DWU president Fr Jan Czuba on this particular issue, Mr Zibe said he would like to see all parties work together to ensure that all issues affecting the training and registration of nurses were resolved so as to minimise the delays that they are currently experiencing.
“The graduates and their families have committed themselves to supporting the health sector by opting to take up the profession.
“And it is only fair that we provide necessary support and not frustrate them by the long delays in registration and admission into the workforce,” Mr Zibe said.
He said the delay in nurses’ registration is an impediment to the deployment of the workforce of the health sector, when health centres and hospitals are in short supply of such trained nurses.
In a renewed effort to speed up the progress, he made a commitment to support the PNGNC to undertake the work.
“For many years, the biggest single constraint on the PNGNC was the lack of adequate funding from the Government to perform their functions more effectively,” Mr Zibe said.
He added he would be taking action to ensure that the PNGNC be properly supported in terms of funding and manpower to undertake its work “so that the backlog of nursing registrations is completed and nurses with qualifications are able to be employed soon after graduation and do not have to wait for months”.
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