8,500 nursing and health technician graduates for 5,000 expected positions raises parliamentary concern
A significant disparity between the number of graduates from higher institutes of nursing and health technical professions and available job openings is causing concern in Parliament. Approximately 8,500 graduates, including 1,500 from previous cohorts, are currently awaiting employment, while only about 5,000 budgetary positions are anticipated this year. Opposition MP Aouicha Zelfa has questioned the Minister of Health and Social Protection regarding this situation, advocating for exceptional measures to address the backlog of unemployed graduates. The issue highlights a misalignment between training policies and human resource planning within the health system, particularly affecting specialized fields like operating room nursing, nephrology and dialysis, and geriatrics. Zelfa also raised concerns about the limited absorption capacity of the private sector and called for detailed data on planned recruitments, including a breakdown by specialty and organization, as well as a prospective plan to match training capacities with actual recruitment needs. She suggested an exceptional national competition or a specific mechanism to integrate graduates from previous years.