Zanzibar — PRESIDENT's Office, Regional Administration, Local Governments and Special Departments has secured permits for 51 job slots in the health cadres to address manpower shortage in the special departments' health facilities.

Minister of State, President's Office, Regional Administration Mr Masoud Ali Mohammed told the House of Representatives here yesterday that the ministry is devising various measures to address the shortage of health workers in the facilities.

He said the ministry has further offered scholarships to 66 employees in the special departments to pursue various courses in health sector in the 2023/2024 financial year, expressing optimism on improved service once they graduate and return to work.

The minister was answering a question by Nungwi Representative Abdalla Abbas Wadi, who wanted to know the government strategies to address manpower shortage at special departments' health facilities, proposing the use of retired professionals.

The legislator commended the special departments in the country for their efforts to construct health centres and hospitals for the benefit of wananchi but decried acute shortage of medics to offer the envisaged services.

The minister said the government is also using volunteers as part of the strategies to address the shortage, saying currently there 163 volunteers in various health facilities under the special departments in the country. He also accepted the proposal to recall retirees, saying there is already a plan to use retired professionals under contracts.