The Industrial Relations Court (IRC) in Mzuzu has restrained the Ministry of Health from conducting walk-in interviews for various health cadres which were expected to start tomorrow, January 18 to Saturday, January 20 2024.
The interim order, granted to 122 health workers who are currently employed in government and Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) facilities, has been obtained through Jivason and Company.
Government had stated that those who are already employed in its facilities or those for Cham are not eligible to attend the interviews despite qualifying for some of the posts, which the applicants argue in an affidavit that such a move was discriminatory as they had acquired higher qualifications qualifying them for senior positions.
Reads the Order: “An interim order be and is hereby granted restraining the Respondent from conducting the recruitment of health care workers scheduled to take place on the 18th, 19th and 20th January 2024, or any other day at St John College of Nursing, Chankhanga CDSS, Malawi College of Health Sciences (Blantyre campus) ad Malawi College of Health Sciences (Zomba Campus), or any other place, and this shall subsist until a further order of the Court or until the Applicants are allowed to attend the walk-in or other interviews for the recruitment exercise in question in this matter.”
Lawyer for the Applicants, Christopher Kambalame says the interim order restrains Ministry of Health from conducting the walk-in interviews.
“Over 120 health workers who are excluded from attending the interviews although they qualify for the positions advertised engaged our firm to take the matter to court. They are of the view that Government is discriminating against them,” he says.
Capital Hill seeks to recruit among others, Senior Medical Officers, nurses, clinical officers and Radiographers. –NATION ONLINE
