Allexer Namundjembo
Nursing graduates are raising concerns over the high exam fees set by the Nursing Council, with many saying the N$2,000-plus cost is an unfair barrier to entering the workforce.
Former lawmaker Hidipo Hamata condemned the charges, calling them unjust and harmful to the country’s health system.
“How can unemployed graduates, most of whom still depend on their struggling parents, be expected to afford such exorbitant fees? It is completely wrong and unfair! These are the same nurses we desperately need in our hospitals and clinics, yet we are blocking them with expensive, unnecessary barriers,” Hamata said.
He added that the Nursing Council is placing young professionals in a financial chokehold, delaying their chance to serve the nation.
“This must STOP! We must stand with our nursing graduates and demand that the Nursing Council reduce these outrageous fees and simplify the registration process. Our young people deserve better,” he stressed.
Timotheus Hangula, a recent nursing graduate, has proposed that the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) cover the cost of the professional exam.
“Most students do not have money to pay for the exams,” Hangula said. “The painful thing is, if you fail the exam, you will be charged more again if you want to rewrite. It is really costly.”
Maria Namule, who graduated in 2023, said she has yet to write the exam due to a lack of funds.
“I was a self-funding student, and I was assisted by family members to pay off my education. Now, going to them again asking for exam fees didn’t work out. I’m only now planning to write after sourcing some money,” she explained.
Namule suggested that the Health Professions Council of Namibia (HPCNA) allow candidates to make partial payments, which could ease the burden on unemployed graduates.
However, Dr. Cornelius Weyulu, Registrar of the Health Professions Councils of Namibia, explained that the fees are legally binding and set out in Government Notice No. 595 (Government Gazette No. 8220, dated 25 September 2023).
“These fees are set by law. The same law does not provide any mechanisms for waivers or financial support for applicants facing hardship,” he said.
The gazette outlines a wave of fee increases across health professions, continuing a trend that began in December 2020. Approved by the Ministry of Health and Social Services, these adjustments were made on the recommendation of respective councils to cover operational and regulatory costs.
Under General Notice 593, exam fees range from N$600 for interns to N$2 250 for practitioners. General Notice 594 reveals that re-examination fees for doctors or dentists now cost N$6,570. Registration for Namibian doctors stands at N$3 890, while foreign applicants must pay N$15,560. Hospital inspection fees have risen to N$22 620.
