DEPARTURE of skilled nurses and tutors from the country’s health training institutions as well as in health facilities, is set to hit Zimbabwe’s healthcare hard in the few years to come, a top Nursing Association official has said.
By Michael Gwarisa
Speaking during a Medicine Sans Frontieres (MSF) Scientific Day in Harare, Zimbabwe Nursing Association (ZINA) Secretary General, Mr Enock Dongo said training facilities will soon be producing half backed nurses due to shortage of skilled tutors.
When we look at the economic situation, we find that there are so many challenges that has led to the current brain drain that we are experiencing in the country. You agree with me that there is a rampart shortage of healthcare workers, whatever level that we can talk of from the clinics up to the central level.
“You also look at why our nurses, the most senior ones are leaving the country? If we are not very careful as a country, the next two to three years is going to be more disastrous than now. Why am I saying so? Tutors who are training nurses at the schools of nursing are leving the country. What is going to happening to those nurses who are being trained now? One they don’t have experienced tutors to train them, two, they don’t have experienced nurses to mentor them in the wards. After three years, what kind of a cadre are we going to have?” said Mr Dongo.
He added that the shortage of healthcare personal has led to a lot of burnout to those who are still providing services. Other challenges being faced in include the working environment in the country due to a deteriorating economic situation.
“Our hospitals are dilapidated, the environment itself. To talk of nurses, nurses spend 24/7 at a hospital environment but looking at the environment t that they are working on without resources, medication and the basics such as PPE, this has pushed mots of our heath workers to look for greener pastures. We also have another important aspect which is the remuneration. In Southern Africa, nurses in Zimbabwe, are the lowest paid in Southern Africa in as far as salaries are concerned in as far as salaries are concerned and this has pushed them to migrate from our government hospitals.
“These are the most senior and well experienced nurses that we are talking about. The moment that they leave and somebody junior and takes over, it means all the programs and progress has been lost. We have to start and that is the reality on the ground.”
Meanwhile, the health sector brain drain has stalled donor programmes in the country.
