Health Ministry Confirms Payment of Nurses’ Arrears, Outlines Major Recruitment Drive

The Ministry of Health has announced that two-month salary arrears owed to newly recruited nurses have been fully paid, reaffirming the government’s commitment to clearing outstanding obligations to health workers.

In a press release, the Ministry indicated that the next phase of payments will cover three months of arrears each from May to July 2026, in line with an approved staggered settlement plan. It commended affected nurses and other health personnel for their patience and cooperation, stressing its commitment to strengthening the health workforce to improve service delivery nationwide.

The statement urged individuals facing challenges or needing clarification on payments or related issues to contact the Human Resource for Health Development Directorate at the Ministry of Health for assistance.

As part of broader efforts to boost staffing, the Ministry disclosed that government plans to recruit between 16,000 health workers this year, as part of a deliberate strategy to absorb more trained professionals into the public health system. Financial clearance has so far been secured for about 8,000 personnel, with processes underway to obtain approval for the remainder, and the Ministry reiterated that no health worker will be engaged without the necessary financial provision.

According to the release, the clearances already obtained have been distributed across various health cadres to support the gradual integration of more staff into health facilities across the country. The Ministry emphasised that its official recruitment portal remains the sole channel for all recruitment processes, a measure it says is designed to ensure transparency, fairness and accountability.

It acknowledged that, due to the high number of applicants, some prospective recruits have encountered difficulties accessing the portal, leading to anxiety and frustration. The Ministry said it is actively working to secure additional financial clearances and streamline processes so that more qualified applicants can be engaged in the health sector.