PHA-Exch> A Lament for the Health Care Brain Drain: Plus Perspectives for Change

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Sam Lanfranco <Lanfran at yorku.ca>
A Lament for the Health Care Brain Drain: Plus Perspectives for Change
Sam Lanfranco, York University, February 2008

Along with others, I too lament the terrible consequences of the brain
drain of medical personnel, and others from the poor regions of the
world to the richer regions of the world. On the one hand this
reflects both the failure of the wealthy regions to invest their own
considerable resources into providing their own medical personnel. On
the other hand it reflects three desires on the part of developing
country health professionals. There is the self-interested desire for
a better standard of living. There are also the desires to work in an
environment in which their skills are both well used and nurtured.
Lastly, in many cases working abroad allows for remittances that
support and present advancement opportunities for family left behind.

There are several injustices here, but other than suggesting raising
them to the status of criminality to underscore the gravity of the
situation, criminalizing behaviour (which behaviour?) is probably
both futile and potentially yet another injustice. Explore for a
second what is wrong with the existing picture.


Get a copy of the full article from the author Lanfran at yorku.ca
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange-phmovement.org/attachments/20080228/28b45259/attachment-0001.html>