GOV’T TO RECRUIT 210 DOCTORS

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Posted by admin on April 8, 2026 at 4:48 AM

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Government will employ 210 medical doctors under the ongoing 2025 health personnel recruitment process, in addition to the 727 doctors engaged between 2023 and 2024, Health Minister Dr. Alex Katakwe has announced.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Dr. Katakwe explained that the recruitment process for 2025 is nearing conclusion. He was responding to a question by Kalabo Central MP Chinga Miyutu, who sought clarification on the number of doctors employed from 2023 to 2025.

The Minister revealed that 277 doctors were recruited in 2023, while 450 were engaged in 2024, bringing the total number of new doctors to 937 once the 2025 process is finalized.

Dr. Katakwe emphasized that government plans to deploy doctors to rural and underserved areas as part of efforts to strengthen the workforce and improve access to health services. He noted that the patient-doctor ratio currently stands at 12,000 patients per doctor, underscoring the urgent need for more medical personnel.

“Currently, with the state-of-the-art equipment we have brought into the country and are installing in various health facilities, we need specialisation. It is the mandate of the Ministry of Health to have many skilled personnel recruited,” he said.

Earlier, during World Health Day commemorations, Dr. Katakwe highlighted government’s investments in hi-tech equipment at the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka, aimed at reducing referrals abroad.

He assured that referring patients overseas will soon be a thing of the past due to these investments.