THE Ministry of Health and Child Care recruited and deployed more than 500 nurses last month with 400 more expected to be employed by the end of November, as Government moves to alleviate the shortage of nurses in the country.

The move also aims to create employment for qualified nurses who are out of work. Treasury gave the Ministry of Health and Child Care the green light to employ 2 250 nurses and doctors starting last month.

Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa yesterday said the Health Service Board has started recruitment.

Dr Parirenyatwa said more than 4 200 nurses are unemployed while the health ministry requires 8 000 more nurses to meet growing demand for health services.

He added that 14 982 nurses are employed in the country with 3 452 midwives and 273 theatre nurses. Government froze recruitment of nurses in 2011 to contain a ballooning wage bill, a situation that led to critical shortages of staff in hospitals mainly in rural areas.