Nurses: Job Vacancies, but No Candidates
Despite broader eligibility criteria, salary incentives, and hundreds of open positions, young people are not rushing to join the nursing sector in the public health service. This disinterest has prompted Health Minister Anil Bachoo to consider recruiting from abroad.
The situation is disheartening. Despite the Ministry of Health's efforts to attract candidates to the nursing profession, the interest among young people remains frustratingly low. "I don't know what is going on with the mindset of our youth these days. They don't want to pursue a career in health," lamented Minister Anil Bachoo in Parliament.
This disinterest is particularly striking given that the Ministry has significantly relaxed the entry requirements for the profession. Since November 2025, the "Scheme of Service" for the position of "Nursing Officer" has been amended to allow candidates trained outside the Central School of Nursing – notably at Polytechnics Mauritius Ltd and other universities – to apply for public service positions.
"We have slightly lowered the criteria so that those who are undergoing university training, those with university degrees, and those holding diplomas from universities and Polytechnics are allowed to participate in the selection tests," explained the Minister. However, this has not had the desired effect, as few have expressed interest.
The recommendations from the Pay Research Bureau 2026 included substantial incentives to both retain current nurses and make the profession more attractive to young people. Nurses can accumulate leave beyond the usual limit, work during this excess period, and receive compensation instead of retirement benefits for this time.
Provisions for the reimbursement of unused sick leave are also included. Yet, these benefits do not seem sufficient to convince potential candidates. "Many have already trained at Polytechnics and universities. Unfortunately, they do not wish to join the service, despite the multiple benefits granted by the PRB report," lamented Minister Bachoo.
In response to this reality, the Ministry has implemented several temporary measures to address the shortage: 67 nursing officers employed on a renewable monthly basis, 45 retired nurses mobilized under the "bank scheme," and approval obtained for the recruitment of 126 nurses on a "sessional basis" – although only 35 of the 41 contacted eligible candidates have ultimately taken up their positions. Additionally, the recruitment of 15 nurses on a one-year contract is currently underway, stated Minister Bachoo.
Looking Abroad to Address the Shortage
The Ministry also plans to recruit 700 trainee nurses over the next two years as part of the 2025-2026 budget measures. However, the Minister himself is not optimistic about the results, estimating that this recruitment is unlikely to succeed due to a lack of qualified local candidates.
This situation has led the Ministry to consider overseas recruitment. "A proposal to recruit 200 nurses from abroad is under consideration within my ministry, pending the necessary approvals," announced Minister Bachoo, specifying that this measure is intended to complement local initiatives in the short term.
On the other hand, the idea of establishing a bond system to retain new recruits has been dismissed. The Minister believes that such a constraint would be counterproductive in a context where candidates are already scarce. "Our issue is that we have issued calls for applications, but they are not interested in coming. In this case, how can we ask them to sign a commitment?" Minister Bachoo implied.
He advocates for creating an environment in which they would want to serve, as he believes the spirit of service simply does not exist. This succinctly captures the depth of the challenge facing the healthcare sector in Mauritius.