Dawes demands details on health sector posts for which applicants shortlisted

By Kimone Witter    

 

Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr. Alfred Dawes is demanding more information from Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton regarding the 600 vacant positions in the health sector.

 

Speaking in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Dr. Tufton revealed that 2,480 people were shortlisted from the ministry's recent Career Expo and Employment Fair. He said these applicants will go through two additional rounds of screening.

 

The Health Minister provided a further breakdown of the results of the job fair, noting that applications were received for a range of career options including patient care assistants, community health aides, health record clerks, administrative assistant, customer services and key positions within the ministry, including doctors and nurses.

 

"Through the employment fair, SERHA (South East Regional Health Authority), for example, was able to identify persons who are interested in filling positions that have been long advertised but no suitable qualified applicants were found. These positions include a regional pharmacist, medical physicist and a physiotherapist to serve in the parish of St. Thomas. Out of this exercise highly qualified persons were identified," Dr. Tufton outlined. 

 

Qualified candidates for critical posts across the Southern and Western Regional Health Authorities were also engaged.

 

But Dr. Dawes, who has described the job fair as a "colossal waste of time", is pushing for details on the positions for which the applicants were shortlisted. 

 

"The question we need to ask the minister is how many of those 2,400 shortlisted employees can actually go towards filling the 600 posts. What positions were they shortlisted for and how many of them are actually being considered for the crucial, vital, technical positions that are needed right now for the proper function of the healthcare system, or is it that it is mainly admin posts that these applicants are being considered for?" he questioned. 

 

The job fair was held to renew interest in the health sector, expand permanent positions and clinical rotation in line with the overall expansion of the sector.

 

It also sought to plug the existing staff shortages amid significant turnover figures for health care professionals.