Africa 'being drained of doctors': Africa: News: News24


We keep hearing 'Africa must solve it's own problems' and I agree, but how? I disagree with the article that violence etc. are the only reasons. I know of many south African docters and more so nurses now working abroad, since we just can not pay the same salaies (if you keep exchange rates ni mind) as richer countries can. It is especially the UK and countries like the UAE that recruit our medical staff. (also Social workers, I have been aproached by 4 Common Wealth countries, and many of my former collugues are now in such countries)

Any suggestions for a solution for this problem?

AH

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“The subject no longer has to be mentioned by name. Someone is sick. Someone else is feeling better now. A friend has just gone back into the hospital. Another has died. The unspoken name, of course, is AIDS.”
“From the point of view of the pharmaceutical industry, the AIDS problem has already been solved. After all, we already have a drug which can be sold at the incredible price of $8, 000 an annual dose, and which has the added virtue of not diminishing the market by actually curing anyone.”

It's very problematic, because you can't force people to stay in the country (well, you could stop doctors leaving, but then who would become a doctor?). The only things I can think of are a)getting your government to pressure the places taking your doctors to stop, b)don't let foreign countries advertise in yours and c)try and impress upon people their public duty to stay and help their countrymen. None of these are easy.

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... I am surprised at your insolence in writing to me at all. You know, as I know, that I bought this constituency... may God's curse light upon you and may it make your women as open and as free to the excise officers as your wives and daughters have always been to me while I have represented your scoundrel corporation.
I have the honour to be... your obliged humble servant, Anthony Henley
- MPs reply to constituent, mid 1700s

Deals have been made with first the UK, and then the EU. (I think Sa and Canada also signed a deal), but still the drain goes on, and it seems some of these countries have found ways around these deals.

A few years ago our government made a law, which I support. They basically said that, since it costs governmenta lot of money to train a docter and a nurse, you have to work, under law, for one year for government to repay some of this money. But as soon as this year is done,, swoosh, they are off anyway.

AH

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“The subject no longer has to be mentioned by name. Someone is sick. Someone else is feeling better now. A friend has just gone back into the hospital. Another has died. The unspoken name, of course, is AIDS.”
“From the point of view of the pharmaceutical industry, the AIDS problem has already been solved. After all, we already have a drug which can be sold at the incredible price of $8, 000 an annual dose, and which has the added virtue of not diminishing the market by actually curing anyone.”

thats the problem with free will, you either embrace it and make WANT to stay, or you crush it and FORCE people to stay.

one way is successful, one isnt. ill let you figure it out.

Sarcasm. Cute. No one wants to force anyone, and forcing anyone is ilegal in my country anyway. The point is, the other way is also a failure, since no developing country can pay the same salaries as developed countries. The South African Department of Health can not compete insalaries with the NHS of the UK. Not possible, due to economics and the exchange rate. So there is no way to make peopel to want to stay.

IN SA we have a 2 tierd system with a public and private health care system. Now the private hospitals want to increase their fees with 30%, because (acoording to them) they have to increase the salaries of nurses to keep thm here. Not many people can afford those high prices, which will force them on the public system which is already under a lot of pressure and seriously understafed. So making the people to want to stay will also not do the trick, as it will make health care too expensive for the people.

Nobody is saying we should go against free will, I was asking for serious suggestions.

AH

__________________
“The subject no longer has to be mentioned by name. Someone is sick. Someone else is feeling better now. A friend has just gone back into the hospital. Another has died. The unspoken name, of course, is AIDS.”
“From the point of view of the pharmaceutical industry, the AIDS problem has already been solved. After all, we already have a drug which can be sold at the incredible price of $8, 000 an annual dose, and which has the added virtue of not diminishing the market by actually curing anyone.”

I don't know how the system works in SA so I can't make a specific recommendation. However, assuming it is somewhat similar to other places in the world, it should be noted that professionals invest a lot of their lives, and perhaps personal wealth, in obtaining their skills. Like everyone, they expect a return on that investment. We have faced similar problems here in the States particularly in rural areas and impoverished inner cities. One strategy that has proven successful here is for the government to pay for the professional education in return for a fixed commitment of service -- say six years.

Welll, as I stated above, government heavally subisdes health care students at our universities, so we are allready doing that. It is on those grounds that we have the one year state service. But all this means is we get to keep the young inexperienced docters for a while, and lose the experiened ones.

This problem nedds to be solved on all levels. There is a push and pull thing taking the docters away, so we need to stop those. We need methods to want them to stay, but the international community must also help by stoppnig wanting people to go. For instance, the UKmust seriously look into long term solutions to their shortages of medical staff that does not include merely taking them from somewhere else. The NHS (public health) should not activly go out and entice docters and nurses to go there anymore.

AH

__________________
“The subject no longer has to be mentioned by name. Someone is sick. Someone else is feeling better now. A friend has just gone back into the hospital. Another has died. The unspoken name, of course, is AIDS.”
“From the point of view of the pharmaceutical industry, the AIDS problem has already been solved. After all, we already have a drug which can be sold at the incredible price of $8, 000 an annual dose, and which has the added virtue of not diminishing the market by actually curing anyone.”

When I was hospitalized and very ill my nurse was from South Africa. She said she planned on going back to South Africa soon. Just thought I would say that. Although it doesn't contribute anything, really, to this thread.

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How can people understand all the secrets of the universe if they can't even understand each other?

I believe the living environment in Africa is not very accommodating especially for the whites, lets face it! I am talking about the environment created by the African leaders. Environment such as safety, medical, transparency, democracy, Christianity and so on.
I believe that Africa can be one of the richest continents in the world.
So, in short- Most African leaders must undergo a complete change of heart for the better.