HEALTH

The Public Health Ministry will employ almost 23,000 additional full-time staff over the next three years, the ministry said yesterday.

Pradit: Positions will include nurses

The announcement could avert a three-day nurses' strike that was being threatened for early next year.

Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong announced yesterday that 7,427 official positions would be offered to various medical staff in each fiscal year from 2012-2014.

Temporary staff who have worked at the ministry since 2006-2008 would be the first group to benefit from the initial round of offers, he said, which are expected to be made by next month.

Around 1.6 billion baht has been allocated to hire the first group, Mr Pradit said. The positions will cover various fields, including nurses.

Thousands of nurses across the country have recently voiced discontent over the government's failure to recognise them as full-time public servants.

They had threatened to strike on Jan 1-3 next year if their grievance was not resolved quickly.

Suchitra Luangamornlert, vice-president of the Thailand Nursing and Midwifery Council, said she was satisfied with the ministry's announcement.

"We hope the government will be true to their word and apply this plan as promised," she said.

Ms Suchitra said about 17,000 nurses had requested permanent employment status from the government.

It is still not clear how many nurses will be employed under the ministry's three-year plan.

Ms Suchitra said she would now discuss the ministry's announcement with nursing group representatives so they could decide how to move forward.