By John Ikani
Zimbabwe is set to criminalize the recruitment of its health personnel by other countries, according to Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who also serves as the health minister.
Mr. Chiwenga equated the drain of healthcare professionals to human trafficking and said that those responsible for it will face stiffer penalties, as they are robbing the nation of its human capital.
The Vice-President stated on Wednesday that deliberately recruiting and making the country suffer is a crime against humanity and should be taken seriously, as people are dying in hospitals due to a shortage of nurses and doctors.
He added that Zimbabwe regards this act as a heinous crime and a grave violation of human rights.
In the past year, over 4,000 nurses and doctors have left Zimbabwe, with the United Kingdom’s National Health Service being an attractive destination for Zimbabwean doctors and nurses due to the higher wages offered there.
However, last month, the UK halted the recruitment of Zimbabwean health workers after the country was placed on the red list by the World Health Organisation (WHO), indicating serious health personnel challenges.
The Zimbabwe Medical Association estimates that the country has around 3,500 doctors for a population of 15 million people, while the nation faces an economic crisis that has seen wages decimated by endless inflation.
