Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
GOVERNMENT has reinstated all the nurses that were fired last year for going on an illegal strike.
Health Minister Joseph Kasonde has said at a media briefing today that the 570 nurses became eligible for re-employment without loss of their benefits following months of negotiations and exculpation of their actions.
Dr Kasonde says out of the 570 health workers who were dismissed, 67 were immediately reinstated, 431 who had reapplied have since been reappointed, while 71 have had their cases processed and are free to collect their letter of engagement though unfortunately one staff died.
Dr. Kasonde however states that demand for discipline in the health sector still remains intact as before, stressing that discipline in the health sector is of paramount importance as they serve the patients and the general public.
And Dr Kasonde has disclosed that results of scientific studies done in Zambia in 2013 have been analyzed and Zambia has been given the status of a low yellow fever exposure country.
He says government received the letter from the Director General of the World Health Organization in which yellow fever vaccinations is not recommended for Zambia.
Dr. Kasonde says this means that travelers from Zambia do not need yellow fever vaccination certificates to enter other countries in the world.
He adds that government has since written to the governments of South Africa and Botswana to draw their attention to the scientific fact requesting them to relook at their demands for yellow fever certificates from Zambian travelers.