Health Ministry denies approving salaries or contracts for foreign medical and nursing staff

The Ministry of Health of the Government of National Unity has denied reports regarding alleged salaries and costs associated with recruiting medical and nursing personnel from abroad, stressing that no final contracts have yet been concluded with any country.

The ministry said the process is currently limited to assessing the health sector’s actual staffing needs and comparing available options in coordination with the relevant authorities. It added that the recruitment of foreign medical personnel has not yet received final approval.

The ministry attributed consideration of the option to a severe shortage of nursing staff, which has caused some fully equipped departments and intensive care units to cease operations or operate at reduced capacity. It also cited a shortage of doctors, particularly in remote areas and regions in the mountains, central, southern and eastern Libya.

According to the ministry, the health sector employs nearly 350,000 people, while physicians account for no more than 10% of the total workforce.

In recent days, social media pages circulated a document purportedly containing authorization from the GNU Ministry of Health to recruit 75 doctors and 125 nurses from Syria, with payments reportedly ranging from $1,000 to $3,200. The document sparked widespread debate on social media.