75 Percent Of Nurse Training Places Reserved For Local Students, Government Declares
Government has ordered nurse training schools to recruit 75 percent of students from local districts, a policy announced in Parliament to curb corruption, promote fairness, and guarantee communities benefit from local institutions.
The directive was unveiled during a parliamentary question‑and‑answer session on Tuesday, a few months after the decentralisation of nurse training recruitment.
Authorities say the quota system will ensure that communities benefit directly from institutions in their areas, while reducing external influence in admissions.
Dangamvura legislator Prosper Mutseyami asked what measures had been put in place to address complaints that some regions had not secured a single trainee nurse.
Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Sleiman Kwidini responded:
“As far as the Ministry is concerned, we have decentralised nurse training. Each region has more than two schools of nursing.
“After that, we have implemented a quota system where 75 percent of the students recruited from those areas are locals.”
Officials say the quota is designed to counter corrupt practices that have plagued admissions, including reports of aspiring students paying up to US$1,000 to secure placements.
The policy also seeks to anchor training institutions within their communities, ensuring graduates are more likely to serve locally.
According to the Chronicle, the move comes after widespread public concern about external influence distorting recruitment outcomes.
Demand for nurse training remains extremely high, with more than 100,000 applicants chasing roughly 1,200 available slots annually.
Sally Mugabe and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare receive an average of 5,000 and 8,000 applications per intake, yet their combined capacity is only 80 students, with two intakes each year.
In Bulawayo, Mpilo Central Hospital, United Bulawayo Hospitals, and Ingutsheni Psychiatric Hospital typically accommodate about 40 students annually.
Deputy Minister Kwidini emphasised that schools will continue to admit 25 percent of students from outside their districts or provinces to maintain diversity and merit‑based selection.
He said transparency measures would be tightened at every stage of recruitment.
Community leaders have welcomed efforts to “clean up” admissions while urging the Ministry to publish criteria, timelines, and selection outcomes.
Parliament expects regular updates on the policy’s implementation and impact across regions.
