Vanuatu hires 25 Solomons nurses

Vanuatu’s health minister, Pastor Don Ken, has signed an agreement with his Solomons Islands counterpart, Charles Sigoto, for the Solomons to send 25 nurses to work in the health sector in Vanuatu.

The minister’s private secretary says the nurses are due in Vanuatu in two weeks.

The Vanuatu government will be responsible for their salaries and the secretary says they’ll be offered attractive packages.

Vanuatu recently reported a shortage of nurses and doctors throughout the country.

It already has an agreement with Cuba for the Caribbean country to assist with nurses and to train doctors.

The shortage has been put down to a smaller intake at the national nursing school over the past seven years.

Last year, the government increased the number of students and 70 are now undergoing nursing training.

The doctor shortage is due to the better salaries and conditions offered overseas.