Zambian health sector hit by brain drain

Two statutory regulatory bodies in Zambia have established that migration of healthcare workers to other Countries has remained a challenge with potential to impact negatively the provision of quality health services.

The Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ) and General Nursing Council of Zambia (GNCZ) partnered with an organisation called Amref Health Africa in Zambia to conduct a survey on the prevalence of health worker migration, its repercussions, and later come up with recommendations to reverse the trend.

HPCZ Registrar and Chief Executive Officer Bwembya Bwalya says while Government through the Ministry of Health has been on a massive recruitment of health workers, there is need for responsible institutions to put up policies and incentives that promote retention of health workers within the Country.

And GNCZ Director Human Capital Ceaser Banda, speaking on behalf of the Nursing Council’s Registrar says the health sector is still grappling with nurse-patient ratios in most facilities and health worker migration widens the gab on the quality of healthcare.

Meanwhile, Amref Health Africa in Zambia, facilitators of the health worker Migration Survey have pledged to advance all the findings to policy makers for possible action.

The Organisation’s Head of Country Program Viviane Sakanga discloses that in the past, there was no recorded evidence of the prevalence of nurses and other health practitioners leaving Zambia for opportunities abroad, so the Survey is a good start to inform policy.

She was speaking in Lusaka after a meeting with both HPCZ and GNCZ, representatives from Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs, Ministry of Health and Some Professional Associations. -Ask Muvi TV

Article first published on zambianeye.com