Highest intake of trainee nurses

by S.M. Wijayaratne, Kurunegala Corr.

The Ministry of Health will recruit 6,025 trainee nurses to fill vacancies islandwide. This ceremonial event of recruiting the highest number of trainee nurses to Government Nurses' Training Schools would take place on December 10 at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Many experienced nurses have decided to go on retirement in large numbers and during the period 2002-2003, there was no any recruitment to nursing profession.

Some well-qualified nurses have gone abroad for lucrative job opportunities. Consequently, a severe shortage of nurses in government hospitals exist. Minister of Health Maithripala Sirisena has decided to recruit 6,025 trainees this year for the noble profession of nursing, said the President of Retired Government Doctors' Association, Kurunegala District W.A.M. Jayapala at a meeting of its members held in Bingiriya youth Training Centre in Kurunegala. He also said that Rs. 3,500 million would be invested in training nurses and other minor health employees islandwide next year and funds for this would be allocated for the Ministry of Health by the Treasury as per instructions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.