Sri Lanka's Cabinet has authorized the hiring of retired and former nursing instructors on contract terms to fill vacancies in the Ministry of Health and Mass Media's nursing schools.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a recruitment initiative to address significant staffing shortages across Sri Lanka's nursing education sector. According to The Island, the decision targets 17 nursing schools operating under the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, including a postgraduate institution.
As of March 2026, the nursing schools faced 142 vacant positions for Grade I and Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education) roles. The vacancies are expected to increase to 166 positions following the promotion of 24 officers to special grade positions scheduled for December 2025. Additionally, 24 separate vacancies exist in the Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education) category.
The recruitment drive will prioritize retired nursing instructors and former instructors from the three armed forces who either retired or resigned legitimately from service. These individuals will be engaged on a contract basis rather than as permanent staff members. The approved measure comes as the Ministry simultaneously pursues broader institutional reforms, including upgrading nursing schools to colleges and converting diploma programs to degree-level courses.
According to reporting by The Island, recruitment actions had not previously been initiated to support these educational upgrades, creating a gap between the Ministry's modernization efforts and its staffing capacity.