By Health Reporter-The Zimbabwean government has withheld verification letters for over 4,000 nurses, effectively preventing them from leaving the country to take up employment opportunities abroad, particularly in the United Kingdom.

The verification letters—each costing US$300—are a mandatory requirement for nurses seeking overseas jobs. Despite having paid the fee, thousands of nurses have yet to receive the crucial documentation.

A senior official from the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare revealed that more than 6,789 Zimbabwean nurses are already working in the UK, with another 1,000 having relocated to Ireland. The growing exodus has reportedly alarmed the government, which is grappling with a worsening nurse-to-patient ratio in public health institutions—estimated at between 1:20 and 1:30 in some wards.

Speaking to NewsDay, Zimbabwe Nurses Association president Enock Dongo condemned the government’s actions, describing them as a violation of workers’ rights.

“We are gravely concerned about the denial of nurses’ rights. It has come to our attention that nurses who have completed their mandatory bonding are being denied both their diplomas and verification letters—documents required to seek employment locally or internationally,” Dongo said.

“This is a blatant infringement of their right to choose their employer. We demand the immediate release of these documents to all eligible nurses. More than 4,000 professionals are currently affected by this injustice,” he added.

-NewsDay