The Vice-President of Zimbabwe, Constantino Chiwenga, has disclosed that the country intends to introduce a law that would make it illegal for other nations to recruit its health workers.
According to the government, the move is targeted at preventing the loss of valuable healthcare professionals to other countries, which has been a long-standing issue for Zimbabwe’s healthcare system.
The VP who doubles as the health minister noted that the loss of healthcare professionals is comparable to human trafficking.
Chiwenga announced stricter penalties for those who he alleged had deprived the nation of its human capital.
He said, “If one deliberately recruits and makes the country suffer, that’s a crime against humanity. People are dying in hospitals because there are no nurses and doctors. That must be taken seriously”.
“Zimbabwe frowns at this heinous crime which is also a grave violation of human rights,” he added.
Reports have it that more than 4,000 nurses and doctors have left Zimbabwe since February 2021.
Records have it that the UK’s National Health Service has been an attractive destination for Zimbabwean doctors and nurses as wages are far higher than those paid back home.
Recall that recently, the UK halted the recruitment of Zimbabwean health workers after the southern African country was placed by the World Health Organisation on the red list, which denotes countries facing serious health personnel challenges.
According to the Zimbabwe Medical Association, the country has about 3,500 doctors for a population of 15 million people.
The nation is currently facing an economic crisis characterized by high inflation that has significantly reduced wages.
