Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2022, published 111st ILC session (2023)

Nursing Personnel Convention, 1977 (No. 149) - Seychelles (Ratification: 1993)

Articles 2 and 5 of the Convention. National policy concerning nursing services and nursing personnel. Consultations. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government on the measures taken and envisaged to improve the quality of nursing care and to address human resource shortages in healthcare. The Government indicates in this regard that Seychelles has a revised Scheme of Service which proposes to increase nurses’ basic salary and other allowances with a view to attracting and retaining nursing personnel in the profession. The revised Scheme was submitted to the relevant authorities for approval on 4 May 2020. The Committee further notes the Government’s indication that the revision of the Nurses and Midwives Act, 1985 was validated by nurses’ representatives and is currently before the Office of the Attorney General for consideration. With regard to education and training, the Government reports that the National Institution for Health and Social Studies (NIHSS) is the only accredited institution in the Seychelles for providing pre-service and post-basic training in the health and social work fields. The Committee notes with interest the information provided by the Government regarding the different programmes and diplomas on nursing offered by the NIHSS and the number of students enrolled. The Government indicates that some programmes are still undergoing validation by the Seychelles Qualification Authority (SQA). It adds that the admission rate for nursing professional training is 65 per cent, 67 per cent for nursing with additional midwifery training and 65 per cent for social work. In 2018, it was estimated that only 48 per cent of those enrolled in the nursing programme graduated and 70 per cent of this group enrolled in the midwifery programme. The Committee nevertheless observes that the Government does not provide information on the current situation regarding the emigration of national nurses overseas and on measures taken to address this issue. In addition, the Government has not provided information on the participation of nursing personnel in the planning of nursing services and decisions concerning them. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed updated information, including statistical information disaggregated by sex and age, on the nature, scope and impact of measures taken or envisaged to improve the quality of nursing care and to address human resource shortages in healthcare, indicating the measures taken in relation to education and training, as well as in relation to employment and working conditions, with the aim of attracting men and women to the profession and retaining them in it. The Committee further requests the Government to provide updated information on the status of the adoption of the revised Scheme of Service and of the review of the Nurses and Midwives Act, 1985, as well as to provide copies of these documents once they become available. It also reiterates its request that the Government provide updated information concerning the current situation regarding the overseas migration of nurses and the measures undertaken to address this issue. The Committee also reiterates its request to the Government to provide detailed updated information on the participation of nursing personnel in the planning of nursing services and decisions concerning them.

Application in practice. The Government reports that, according to data from the Department of Health, there are 2,920 health professionals registered, of which 74.6 are actively practicing in either the public or the private sector. With regard to nursing personnel, the Government indicates that 67 per cent of registered professional nurses are practicing as well as nearly 100 per cent of allied health professionals. Moreover, the Government reports that there are 951 registered nurses, 640 nurses are practising in the country and 119 are expatriated. The Government adds that 91.6 per cent of nurses are women, compared to 99.4 per cent of midwives. The Government indicates that 27.40 per cent of nurses are aged between 35 and 44 and that, therefore, urgent measures are required to train and recruit nurses in a timely manner, so that they can be mentored by experienced nurses, 25 per cent of whom are expected to retire in the next decade. Finally, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that it received technical guidance and support from the World Health Organization (WHO) for the implementation of the National Health Workforce Account (NHWA) in the country. NHWA is a system by which countries progressively improve the quality, availability and use of health workforce data. The Government indicates that, according to the NHWA report of 2020, nursing data in the country is fragmented, and extensive efforts are required to have data stored in one source. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed updated information, disaggregated by age, sex and region, concerning the situation of nursing personnel in the country, including the number of students graduating from nursing colleges every year and the number of institutions offering nursing education and training, the number of nursing personnel by sectors of activity, levels of training and functions and their ratio to the population, as well as the number of those who leave the profession each year.