Allexer Namundjembo
More than 100 qualified dentists remain unable to secure work in either the public or private sector.
This is despite them completing their studies and internships under the Ministry of Health and Social Services.
Many say they have been unemployed for more than three years while waiting for government placement.
The graduates said they have repeatedly written to the ministry, engaged with human resources and contacted national leadership but have not received answers.
“It has now been over three years since our graduation. Many of us remain unemployed while awaiting government placement,” a letter sent by the graduates to the ministry in possession of the Windhoek Observer reads.
Their frustration has grown after the ministry launched a major health-sector recruitment drive that appears to exclude dentists.
They said the 2025 budget created hundreds of new posts for medical officers, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, social workers and emergency care staff, but did not allocate positions for dentists, leaving the profession sidelined once again.
Another letter stated, “We remain sincerely grateful for the opportunity to serve and for the communication we received from your office. However, we wish to respectfully express our deep concern about the prolonged delay in our placement.”
Some graduates said they cannot even find temporary work.
“This ongoing uncertainty has left over seventy-five of us unemployed and unable to cater for ourselves and our families. Additionally, securing temporary work in private dental practices has proven very difficult, as most positions are already occupied,” the group said.
They added that the prolonged unemployment contradicts the agreements signed by government-sponsored students.
“For the government-sponsored graduates, this prolonged unemployment directly contradicts the contractual obligations outlined in our scholarship agreements, which stipulate that the Ministry shall provide placement upon completion of studies.”
The graduates are calling for an urgent face-to-face meeting with senior leadership within the line to clarify placement plans and seek fair allocation of dental posts.
“We hereby urgently request a face-to-face meeting with the executive director to discuss possible solutions and to seek clarity on the ministry’s plan to fulfil its contractual commitments,” they wrote.
This comes a week after the ministry announced that it would hire more than 2 000 clinical and non-clinical staff in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the National Planning Commission. Health ministry executive director Penda Ithindi said the plan included 1 713 clinical and 337 non-clinical recruits to improve staffing levels in hospitals, health centres and clinics.
A dentist graduate, Absalom Martin, said he expected the ministry to act when the recruitment drive was announced.
“Maybe it is because of the changes of leadership made within the ministry; otherwise, the government should look into it. We remain hopeful that the government will include us in the promise made of creating 500 000 jobs,” he said.
He added that oral health services remain under-resourced, especially in remote and rural communities.
“Oral health remains a critical part of general health, but is under-resourced, particularly in remote and rural communities that rely on outreach programmes because permanent dental staff are scarce,” he said.
In October 2025, the ministry allocated N$185 million to recruit 1 537 new health workers nationwide.
The plan prioritised clinical and non-clinical roles in underserved areas but did not include dental positions.
Graduates say earlier calls for applications, including those in 2020, also failed to result in enough permanent placements.
“Despite our continuous efforts to engage the Ministry regarding this matter, no concrete plan has been communicated to us. We have also applied for the few advertised positions; however, these posts remain insufficient to accommodate all qualified dentists,” they said.
They warned that without action, the country risks losing a generation of trained dental professionals and weakening oral-health services.
“The country has trained us. The public needs us. It is time for the system to recognise our value,” the graduates stressed.
Questions sent to the ministry last week were not answered by the time of publication.
