Medical brain drain hits Zim

2005-01-24 10:03

Harare - Until 2003, strikes by doctors and nurses at Zimbabwe's government hospitals were almost an annual tradition but now many have simply emigrated, paralysing the health sector.

The medical brain drain has reached such critical levels in Zimbabwe that bodies are piling up for months in morgues because there are no pathologists to conduct post-mortems.

A report presented last month at the Zanu-PF party congress showed that only about 9% of pharmacists required in hospitals are currently at work along with less than half of the doctors.

"We feel that the staffing level is less than or equal to 50%," says Billy Rigava, president of the Zimbabwe Medical Association (Zima).

Zimbabwe's health sector has in recent years witnessed an exodus of workers driven out mainly by poor working conditions and low salaries.

At least 1 530 doctors are needed but only 687 were working at state institutions in 2003, against 6 940 nurses out of a required 11 640, according to a health ministry report.

"Most of the nurses have gone elsewhere," said Rigava, adding that once 15 doctors embarked on a strike and later left the country simultaneously.

Popular destinations for Zimbabwe's migrating health professionals are Britain, Australia, Canada, South Africa and Namibia.

Cuban and DRC doctors

The government has tried to bridge the gap by hiring doctors from Cuba and the Democratic Republic of Congo, but many argue that it would be cheaper to pay locals a bit more instead of hiring expatriates.

Parliament last month passed a law which is expected to help stem the brain drain by improving the salaries and work conditions of those in healthcare.

A hospital that is supposed to be staffed by about five doctors normally has only one, and "that gives an element of burn-out," Rigava said.

A visit to the casualty and emergency department of one of the country's largest hospitals in the capital, Parirenyatwa, showed that many patients have to endure long hours of waiting to be seen by overworked doctors.

An correspondent recently took a sick relative to the hospital, where scores of restless people along with their relatives sat on benches for hours to be attended to by just two doctors on duty that night.

The situation is often exacerbated by a shortage of medicines.

Even the ruling party has admitted that the drastic shortage of health workers over the last five years has impacted "negatively on the health of the population and the functioning of the health system".

Medical experts estimate that only one in every 10 Zimbabweans is covered by health insurance.

The Aids pandemic and poorly maintained equipment have added to the frustration of the workers.

Around 70% of patients admitted to Zimbabwe's hospitals suffer from HIV and Aids-related illnesses, according to a study by the Zimbabwe Aids Prevention and Support Network.

- AFP