[afro-nets] Health-care workers must be given a fairer deal (4)

[Claudio Schuftan <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

Health-care workers must be given a fairer deal (4)
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From: Chikosa Banda

Antoinette,

Much as I sympathize with your views, I do not fully agree with
this victim, kind of, theory. Most developing countries tend to
blame the developed world for almost all their problems and fail
to acknowledge the fact that they are part of the problem.

In order to find solutions to this problem we need to clearly
and honestly diagnose the problem. I believe that most medical
workers leave their countries partly because they have been ex-
ploited for too long by their home governments. As one of the
African professionals I have noticed that most have two choices.
Either to painfully extract ourselves from our countries or die
young due to the conditions we have been reduced.

I think our governments do not know what their priorities. They
have effectively ruined public services. In my own country poli-
ticians earn much higher salaries than doctors and other profes-
sionals, who get next to nothing. The message that my country
effectively sends is that the services of a fairly uneducated
are much more needed than my services. So why should I insist in
remaining in that particular environment. I should think that I
only have one life to live and I can only sacrifice my personal
interests to a point.

In short, as long as most of our countries fail to determine
what their priorities are the problem of brain drain will not be
solved. My view is that we cannot afford to sustain proper medi-
cal systems if those we have entrusted to make decisions on our
behalf keep plundering our countries. As long as those people
are shielded from blame young professional will look for better
livelihoods elsewhere.

Regards,

Chikosa Banda
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