Nurses who are not registered with the Order of Nurses of Mozambique have 45 days to regularize their situation at the risk of being fined and even imprisoned in accordance with the law.

The decision is contained in a communiqué from the Order of Nurses quoted by "O País" in which it sets a deadline of 45 days for all nurses to register with the association.

According to the document, after the deadline, all unregistered professionals will be considered illegal and penalized for not having a professional license.

"Anyone who, contrary to law or regulation, performs acts of a profession without possessing the corresponding official title, diploma or authorization that legally entitles them to do so, shall be punished with imprisonment from 6 months to 2 years and a corresponding fine," the document states.

The fees for registration and annual dues vary according to category and length of time in arrears. For example, a Nursing Technician B must pay a fee ranging from 1700 to 6450 Meticais, depending on the number of years in arrears.

A specialist nurse, on the other hand, must pay amounts ranging from 4450 to 22 950 Meticais. However, the Nurses' Association of Mozambique says that the amounts are exorbitant.