The Health Ministry is looking at ways to retain nurses and plug the shortage of skilled labour in the medical sector.

Director Nursing Silina Waqa says they’re also working on strategies to keep experienced nurses.

“You know the shortage of nurses is a global issue, it’s going to be there all the time, because of nursing migration. We have addressed that we have never relaxed, the government has additional 510 nurses from 2010-2012, they have agreed another 1000 nurses from 2014 for the next five years.”

Nurses make up sixty percent of the entire workforce at the health ministry – the front of any and all hospital services.