In a landmark policy shift, the Government has scrapped the long-standing requirement that prospective nurses must attain five Ordinary Level passes in a single sitting. The change, announced by Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora, is aimed at broadening access to nurse training programmes and addressing barriers faced by disadvantaged students, particularly in rural areas.
Dr Mombeshora revealed the policy adjustment during a parliamentary question-and-answer session this week. He explained that the one-sitting rule was found to be discriminatory, as it excluded many capable candidates whose families could not afford to register for all required subjects at once.
“We removed the requirement that students must obtain all their O-level passes in one sitting. Some children were disadvantaged not because they failed, but because their parents could not afford to pay for multiple subjects at once. In those cases, it is only fair that we pave the way for them to be enrolled if they meet the pass requirements over more than one sitting,” Dr Mombeshora said.
The change follows growing concern from legislators and communities that promising candidates, especially from rural districts, were being unfairly excluded. Mkoba MP Mr John Kuka had pressed Government on what measures were being taken to help students who repeatedly applied for nursing training without success.
In response, Dr Mombeshora emphasised that the quota system introduced in 2024 remains in place. Under the policy, at least 50 percent of trainee nurses at any given school must come from the district where the institution is located. This, he argued, ensures fair representation and gives local communities a stronger opportunity to benefit from health sector training and employment.
However, the Minister acknowledged that demand continues to outstrip supply, with a shortage of teaching staff and inadequate infrastructure limiting the intake. To ease pressure, the Government is expanding the use of e-learning in nurse training institutions. Currently, 23 of the 73 nursing schools have adopted e-learning, but challenges remain around ICT equipment and reliable internet access.
Looking ahead, Dr Mombeshora said more private and public hospitals will be accredited to train nurses, while Treasury has committed to doubling the number of practising nurses by 2030. He, however, noted the delicate balance between training more nurses and ensuring they are eventually absorbed into the health sector.
“This is a mammoth task. We must train more, but also make sure they are employed. Our discussions with Treasury are ongoing to ensure that as we scale up training, the system can absorb them into hospitals and clinics across the country,” he said.
The removal of the one-sitting barrier is expected to open doors for many aspiring nurses, especially from underprivileged backgrounds, while strengthening the country’s broader health delivery system.
