M.Comm. / Sub-Saharan Africa is facing a health crisis. The prevalence of disease has intensified in recent decades. The debilitating effects of communicable and non-communicable diseases continue to abound. The disease burden, accompanied by increasing populations has further strained health care facilities. Notwithstanding the challenge of disease, the supply of health professionals remains low and it is worsened by their emigration to developed countries. The objective of this paper is to investigate the causes and effects of skilled health professionals’ migration from the South African public health sector to developed countries and to devise viable solutions. Main push factors influencing the medical brain drain include poor working conditions, inadequate remuneration, lack of funds for specialities and research, as well as the lack of equipment and supplies. These push factors are coupled by intensive recruitment campaigns, better prospects for career development and attractive salaries offered by developed countries. The most important cause of brain drain is the attractive remuneration offered by developed countries. This dissertation discusses ways of mitigating the health professionals’ migration including training, retention, return and circulation of skills or also known as brain circulation. It argues that the best strategy of dealing with brain drain is based on brain circulation because it yields mutual benefits for both sending and receiving countries. Measures that can facilitate brain circulation include intensifying international cooperation between sending and receiving countries, mobilising diaspora networks to contribute to the development of their home v countries and promoting the immigration of skilled professionals from countries that possess excess supply of medical professionals.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:7175 |
| Date | 31 August 2011 |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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