A member of the Standing Committee on Education, Youth, Civic Relations, and Community Development Institutions, Hercules Jantze, has raised concern regarding the mushrooming of nursing training institutions throughout the country with a declining demand for nurses.

Jantze raised concerns with the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) regarding potential plans to regulate the establishment of nursing training institutions.

"I would like to highlight a concern within the health sector, specifically the nursing industry, where approximately 27% to 33% of trained nurses are unemployed. This situation arises because a significant number of nurses are trained each year."

Jantze made his contribution during a public hearing with the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), which was convened by the Standing Committee on Education, Youth, Civic Relations, and Community Development Institutions. The hearing aimed to critically investigate the uncontrolled proliferation of health training centres in Namibia. 

The Deputy Executive Director of the NCHE, Sylvia Demas, stated that the growth was partly driven by increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The gaps in the entry requirements, with grade ten graduates having had access to training despite changes in the school curriculum, also contributed.

She said that new regulations have since been introduced by revising entry requirements, regulating training quotas and controlling the number of intakes for nurses.

"Fortunately, that has now been changed. In the health professions, there is now a revised set of entry requirements, particularly in nursing, alongside a new retention test. Additionally, the quotas for training and the number of intakes have been regulated. At least this issue has been addressed; however, it was one of the contributing factors."