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`Don`t employ unregistered nurses`
2007-07-23 09:18:43
By Pastory Nguvu
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has warned public and private hospitals not to employ unregistered nurses and midwives.
Tanzania Nurses and Midwives Council (TNMC) registrar Gustav Moyo said recently in Dar es Salaam that TNMC was the regulatory body for nurses and midwives and its primary aim was to protect the public.
He added that the council did that through setting and maintaining of standards in education, training, conduct and performance.
`Only nurses and midwives who fulfill set criteria are allowed to practice after being licensed by the council,` he said.
He said those practicing without an official licence from his office should be terminated from employment as that was a criminal offence according to the law.
`Since 2004 the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare started renewing registration and enrollment of all nurses in the country. Nurses get a licence to practice as either enrolled or registered nurses.
Every nurse and midwife is supposed to renew their licence every two years,` said Moyo
He said that between 2004 and 2006 a total of 16,500 nurses were registered in the country. According to him in this year already 18,500 nurses had their registration renewed.
He said the purpose of conducting the exercise was to ascertain the genuineness of certificates of the nurses because it was recognised that there were some unfaithful nurses possessing forged certificates.
`This year the exercise is going on well as we are getting good cooperation from employers and the nurses themselves. However, we have already identified 50 nurses who have been employed in public and private institutions possessing forged certificates,` he said
He said the culprits had been reported to the police for further legal action.
`I call on nurses and midwives to come forward and renew or get licences so that they can work safely and confidently. The council cautions those with forged certificates that they will eventually be caught because our office has records about all nurses, with photographs, since 1952 when it was established,` he said
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