Health sector records massive brain drain

More than 100 doctors and about 18,000 nurses have left Zimbabwe for greener pastures since 1998, leaving the country’s health delivery system on the brink of collapse, the ‘Daily News’ reported on Tuesday. Timothy Stamps, the minister of health and child welfare, confirmed the brain drain of medical professionals to Britain, Australia and other English-speaking countries. “It’s not just doctors leaving, we are also losing pharmacists, physiotherapists, medical laboratory technologists and paediatricians to mention only a few,” said Stamps. “The whole of the health sector is being preyed upon by agencies from the English-speaking part of the world. There is generally a strong attraction to go for jobs which pay well,” Stamps added. According to a government report for 1998, there were 569 established posts for general doctors, but only 462 of them were taken up, leaving 107 posts vacant. Zimbabwean health professionals are reportedly leaving the country in droves because of poor remuneration, working conditions and lack of medical equipment. Sibert Mandega, the president of the Hospital Doctors’ Association (HDA), said: “There is a great outflux of doctors because they are frustrated. We are working so hard, but paid peanuts.” Last month, junior doctors across the country went on strike pressing for on-call allowances, clarification of the employment status and better communication with their employer, the Public Service Commission. Last year, Britain announced plans to recruit more than 21,000 nurses from other countries.