Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella has instructed the ministry’s officials to urgently take measures for recruiting 3,000 more nurses to the nursing service in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, the minister has directed the ministry’s secretary to prepare a cabinet paper in this regard, if any issue prevails pertaining to the matter.

Rambukwella had issued these instructions during a discussion which was held recently (29) at the Health Ministry with the participation of the officials related to the nursing service in Sri Lanka.

Accordingly, it has been targeted to recruit around 2,500 nursing trainees who were recruited for nursing training in the year 2018, and 500 nursing graduates to the service.

Moreover, the Health Ministry has planned to publish the gazette notification related to the calling of applications for nursing training in the 2019/2020 Advanced Level category by mid-September. The selected applicants will be referred for three-year nursing training.

Last July, a total of 3,315 individuals were enrolled for nursing training from the 2018/2019 Advanced Level category, bringing the tally of training nurses in Sri Lanka up to 6,700.

During the discussion, Minister Rambukwella has further directed the officials that even if there were some disruptions in the recruitment process of nurses,  during the global pandemic situation of Covid-19, steps must be taken to carry out the process in a timely manner in the future.

Rambukwella pointed out that the youth continue to work for opportunities like this with great hope, following the completion of G.C.E. Advanced Level, adding that the relevant officials should work positively towards the matter by properly understanding such situations.

The Health Minister has also drawn the attention of the officials to several other issues pertaining to the nursing service while directing them to follow a proper transfer procedure for transfers in the nursing service.

He has further expressed that in some instances, people who have been working in the same hospital for multiple years are severely affected, while instructing them to follow more positive measures such as directing the nursing officers who have completed a certain service period for transfers in a proper procedure.