Zimbabwe’s Vice-President and Health Minister, Constantino Chiwenga has announced that the country is planning to pass a law making it illegal for foreign nations to recruit its healthcare workers. The move aims to address the issue of brain drain, which has been plaguing Zimbabwe’s healthcare system for years.
Chiwenga likened the loss of healthcare workers to human trafficking, and expressed his concern over the increasing number of healthcare professionals leaving Zimbabwe. Local media reported that more than 4,000 nurses and doctors had left the country since February 2021, citing the UK’s National Health Service as a popular destination for Zimbabwean healthcare workers due to higher wages.
The Vice-President further announced stricter penalties for those accused of depriving Zimbabwe of its human capital, emphasising that the loss of healthcare workers has led to a shortage of medical staff in the country, resulting in people dying in hospitals.
Last month, the UK suspended the recruitment of Zimbabwean healthcare workers after the country was placed on the World Health Organization’s red list, indicating serious health personnel challenges. The Zimbabwe Medical Association reports that the country has only about 3,500 doctors for a population of 15 million people.
The move by Zimbabwe’s government to make it illegal for foreign nations to recruit its healthcare workers is an effort to protect the country’s healthcare system from further depletion. However, the country’s economic crisis characterized by high inflation that has significantly reduced wages remains a major challenge in retaining healthcare workers in the country.