Australia suspends recruitment of Zimbabwe nurses

Australia suspends recruitment of Zimbabwe nurses

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By Staff Reporter

A ROWING Zimbabwean couple has triggered the suspension of all registrations of Zimbabwean nurses in Australia, New Zimbabwe.com learnt last night.

Hundreds of Zimbabwean nurses already in Australia face a tense week ahead as authorities go through their papers after a nurse was found with forged papers and suspended from direct care.

South Australia's nurses board was the first to take the decision. The state's Health Minister, John Hill, told ABC television a further two Zimbabwean nurses working in South Australia have been suspended.

He says their conduct is not being questioned, only the Certificates of Good Standing needed to register for nursing.

Hill also revealed that checks are being done for 88 nurses and midwives from Zimbabwe registered in South Australia.

It emerged last night that the crisis was sparked by a Zimbabwean couple after a man who failed three medical checks decided to shop his wife who was already in Australia, claiming she possessed fake papers.

The man who had been refused entry to Australia told the Zimbabwean nursing board that his wife, who is based in Townsville, Queensland, had faked signatures and other related papers to gain entry into Australia.

A source said: "The husband alerted the Zimbabwean nursing board who in turn passed on the information to the Australians. Various states have suspended the registration of Zimbabweans as a result of what appears to be a domestic wrangle gone terribly awry."

The latest checks will affect thousands of Zimbabwean health professionals in Australia who deserted their country's failing health service in search of better pay and work conditions.

Alongside the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, Australia tops the list of destinations for Zimbabwean professionals, political refugees and economic migrants driven away by a failing economy at home.

One nurse said from Australia last night: "It's a dark day for all Zimbabweans here. Various nursing councils across Australia have posted on their web sites their unwillingness to register Zimbabweans. Hundreds could be going home at the end of this review."
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