Government Employs Over 300 Volunteers Under Phase Three of Cholera Volunteer Recruitment Exercise
Civil Service Commission has disclosed that 329 volunteers will be employed in the Public Service under the third phase of the cholera volunteer recruitment exercise.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka, Commission Chairperson Dr. Choolwe Beyani says this comprises 209 general workers and 120 professional health workers, bringing the total number of cholera volunteers employed into the public service so far to 1,250.
Dr. Beyani explains that taking into consideration the slow pace at which spaces were opening up for general workers, the Ministry of Health has provided an addition of 1, 088 jobs to the volunteers on contract basis, thereby raising the number to 2, 338 volunteers taken on.
He adds that government regrets the delay in completing the exercise as the recruitment of cholera volunteers is based on vacancies that are created on account of natural attrition such as retirements, promotions, transfers, demises, resignations and separations, among others.
Dr. Beyani says in the first phase, the Commission announced the recruitment of 314 health workers, while in the second phase, 303 health workers and 304 general workers were appointed into public service countrywide.
He reveals that after this recruitment, a total of 670 professional health workers and 85 general workers will remain outstanding, adding that the Commission anticipates that these will be absorbed into the Civil Service through the Treasury Authority for the recruitment of 4,000 health workers by the close of this year.
Dr. Beyani further discloses that having concluded the third phase of the cholera volunteers’ recruitment exercise, names of the 329 volunteers will be published in the press tomorrow, Wednesday, 18th September, 2024.
In the wake of the cholera outbreak towards the end of 2023, hundreds of citizens volunteered to help curb the pandemic, and President Hakainde Hichilema directed that all those who volunteered be employed as spaces allow through natural attrition.
