MUMN seeks nurses recruitment task force

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses has urged the government to set up a task force to address the shortage of nurses.

The suggestion was made in a letter to the prime minister.

In a statement today, issued to mark the international Day of Nurses, the MUMN said the shortage of nurses was acute, and the government needed to continue to address it.

It said the task force could be composed of the Health Division, the Education Division and the union. One of its purposes would be to seek solutions so that all those young people who wished to start a career in nurses would be accepted.

The union also complained that scant attention was being paid by the authorities to the health and safety of nurses and current standards were far from the EU norms.

The union welcomed the fact that nurses were now being issued professional warrants. It also welcomed comments by the Minister of Health, who said he would seek greater opportunities for nurses through specialisation as well as administration.

The union paid tribute to all nurses and thanked them and their families for their sacrifices in the interests of the patients.