Health dept wants nurses back

2005-05-25 07:47

Johannesburg - The department of health had approached the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) as part of moves to bring nurses back to South Africa, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said on Tuesday.

The movement of health professionals from developing countries to developed countries should be examined closely to understand why it was happening, she said ahead of her departure to the International Nursing Conference in Taiwan.

African ministers had spoken passionately about it at the recent World Health Assembly and agreed that although there were resolutions and international agreements on the matter, the problem was not being addressed quickly enough.

South Africa was not the only country battling with the departure of health professionals, she said. African countries' health systems were being undermined by this trend, but a recent paper showed that in London nurses were changing jobs to become plumbers and electricians to afford to buy houses.

Speaking to South African nurses abroad it had emerged that not all their expectations were being met, she said. Many had hoped to gain from exchange rate differences but found that this was no longer as beneficial as before.

Want to come home

Many wanted to return but had sold their cars and houses before they left and had obtained a foreign passport.

"I have two cousins... in Britain who really want to come back," she said.

Tshabalala-Msimang said she recognised global movement and the desire for international exposure but hoped that health professionals would return with the knowledge that they could travel again.

"South Africa is working with the IOM to see what we can do to help them come home to serve in the country."

The IOM confirmed that it had had a meeting with the department and had included it in its workshops on the topic.

This weekend Commonwealth ministers of health would meet in Geneva to review the implementation of the Code of Conduct on the International Recruitment of Health Workers.

- SAPA