The Zimbabwe government says that it has plans to offer lucrative packages to doctors in an effort to curb brain drain in the health sector.
Speaking during the post cabinet briefing ,Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcast Services Monica Mutsvangwa said the government would come up with a wide range of incentives to improve the renumeration of frontline workers in the country.
“To stem the brain drain a committee was therefore set up to look holistically into the following issues: mechanisms to accelerate provision of non-monetary incentives, such as staff accommodation, transport, vehicle loans, canteens and cafeterias, and wifi-facilities connectivity; measures to improve the remuneration of tutors in nurses training colleges and administration of nurses training colleges; judicious adjustment of monetary benefits; and addressing the disparity between the urban and rural health personnel incentives in order to attract personnel to rural areas,” she said.
The sentiments by Mutsvangwa comes at a time when developed countries have relaxed immigration procedures for health workers seeking new work opportunities elsewhere due to the high demand of front line workers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
The brain drain in Zimbabwe has reached unacceptable and unsustainable heights due to poor renumeration.
Each year Zimbabwe loses thousands of talented professionals crucial to its development needs most have left for Britain, United States of America, Australia, South Africa and Botswana .
This poor remuneration, coupled with inadequate consumables and medicines at facilities, is significant incentive for their emigration.
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