2026-03-03 / Oral Question: Nursing Service History and Recruitment (Q.1328/2025) 2026-03-03
## Summary
Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa provided a comprehensive update on nurse recruitment and training, acknowledging that the current workforce of approximately 43,553 nurses is insufficient for service demands. He outlined that approximately 3,441 new nursing appointments had been granted between May and November 2024, with a further cohort of 517 graduate nurses expected to receive permanent appointments the following month, and an additional 2,900 completing training for induction by October.
He detailed planned recruitment covering the 2020–2024 training cohorts, totalling around 2,915 trainees registering in March with training commencing in April, alongside further Gazette notifications in May to address backlogs across multiple cohorts. He also reported progress on specialist nursing roles, including 517 Nursing Sisters in training, 217 Public Health Nursing Officers in training, and 69 Matron vacancies notified to the Public Service Commission, projecting a net addition of approximately 6,800 nurses within a 15-month period.
We currently have about 43,553 nurses, which is insufficient for service delivery, and they are working intensely. The solution is to accelerate recruitment, which we are doing within training constraints.
In May 2024 we granted 3,147 appointments; in November 2024, a further 294—totalling 3,441 new nurses from schools. In addition, we called for 875 graduates; 517 joined and are completing six months’ training this month; we expect to grant them permanent appointments next month.
A further batch of about 2,900 is finishing training; their final exam is in July, and we can induct them in early October. Thus, within roughly the past 15 months and in the coming months, about 6,800 new nurses will be added.
On student intakes: we are recruiting the 2020–2022 cohorts—2,915 trainees—who have now indicated preferences at school level. Registration will be on 19–20 March, and training will begin in April. We will also call, via a Gazette in May, for the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 cohorts, with the aim of completing those recruitments by November.
We restarted the Nursing Sister training (applications were from 2022)—517 are in training, to finish in four months (course runs for about 18 months). Public Health Nursing Officers: 217 are in training; 82 have completed, and a new intake will commence within a month. On Matron promotions, 69 central vacancies have been notified to the Public Service Commission, and provincial vacancies are also being filled.