Hosia Mviringi
Government has responded to the current threat to healthcare delivery through uncontrolled migration of health workers to work abroad.
Government decided multiple generous offers to the health service practitioners that include non-monetary incentives as free staff accommodation, transport, vehicle loans, cafeteria and free Wi-Fi connectivity among others.
This was revealed by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa at a post Cabinet media briefing in Harare yesterday.
“Cabinet wishes to inform the public that the inter-Ministerial Committee identified the causes of the brain drain in the health sector,” she said.
To stem the brain drain, a committee was therefore set up to look holistically into such issues as addressing the disparity between urban and rural health services personnel incentives, in order to attract personnel to rural areas, and judicial adjustment of monetary benefits.
The committee also recommended the improvement of remuneration of tutors in nurse training institutions and administration of Nurses training colleges.
Stability of the health sector, it being one of the key frontline service delivery nodes, is critical to the country.
Over the years, sanctions induced economic recession has seen a progressive shrinking of the national cake which negatively affected government’s ability to pay competitive salaries to it’s employees resulting in some opting to sacrifice their families’ stability to work in neighbouring countries.
The sanctions have also wreaked havoc with the little money workers get being reduced drastically by ravaging resultant inflation.
However, through the recent study by this committee, it has been discovered that most workers who are working abroad really desire to return home to their families if the right employment conditions are created. Thus the latest government response.
In addition, Government has announced that it contains to engage host governments in destination countries for the health workers to ensure that they are treated, fairly in terms of their wages as well as their welfare.
This engagement will also facilitate smooth both transition if ever they decide to return home.
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