The Vanuatu Nurses Association says progress has been made in recovering unpaid wages but there is still a big gap in funding to meet the demand for human resources.
The interim president Anne Pakoa, says those nurses on contract, who had not been paid for more than a year in some cases, have now received their salaries.
Twenty nurses, who are waiting for their contracts to be renewed, still haven't seen their wages, but Ms Pakoa is optimistic they will soon.
She says there are funding shortfalls right across public health sector.
"There is a big demand for human resource and that includes nurses, and paramedics and doctors and the question is, we have a big gap in funding. Now we know we cannot do that, internally there's just insufficient funds to recruit."
Anne Pakoa says the Ministry of Health might have to look abroad to aid agencies to meet the gap but says they are already doing a lot to support basic services.
