The Oromia Regional Health Bureau has issued a new, strict directive to strengthen government oversight regarding the hiring and salary payments of health professionals in private health facilities and pharmacies across the region.
In a letter sent to the 21 zonal health departments, the Bureau ordered that all new employment contracts in the private health sector must now be recognized and approved by the relevant government health authorities at each level.
According to the new rules, all private hospitals, higher and medium clinics, and pharmacies are required to immediately send full details of any newly hired professional to the Regional Health Bureau from the date they start work.
This system is designed to allow the government to closely monitor the transfer of professionals, the validity of their professional licenses, and their employment status.
A major point in the letter, which has drawn significant attention from the medical community, is the order stating: "Salaries paid to new professionals hired in private health facilities and pharmacies must not be lower than the salaries paid to professionals working in government health institutions."
This means that private health facilities no longer have the right to set low salaries based solely on their own income; they are now required to pay at least the same as government employers.
This salary standard is intended to protect doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and laboratory professionals working in the private sector from labor exploitation and to provide them with better financial security.
This directive from the Oromia Regional Health Bureau did not happen suddenly, but is based on decisions addressing long-standing problems in the health sector.
These include the increasing number of graduates each year and the limited hiring capacity of the government, which has forced many doctors and nurses to work in private institutions for extremely low pay.
Furthermore, following the recent macroeconomic reforms, the government increased salaries for its employees. It was noted that if the private sector does not adjust its salary scales accordingly, it will create a major imbalance in the health workforce market.
In the conclusion of the letter sent to all 21 zonal health departments, the Oromia Regional Health Bureau issued a very strict warning. It explicitly stated that necessary legal action will be taken against any private health facility or pharmacy that fails to implement these new orders, hiring standards, and salary scales, or that violates the law.
