Zimbabwe turns to retired nurses to ease brain drain

[Ebusitanus]

Nothing is wrong here, its all whities fault. We wont see for sure any "Desert Storm" there to bring democracy and freedom.


http://za.today.reuters.com/news/new...E-20050714.XML

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe will rehire retired nurses to help ease a critical staff shortage in public hospitals caused in part by the exodus of health care workers to Europe and Australia, the health minister said on Thursday.
Zimbabwe's public hospitals have a shortage of about 3,000 nurses. With an estimated unemployment rate of more than 70 percent, the majority of Zimbabwe's 12 million people rely on public health care, which is considerably cheaper than private facilities.
The brain drain has put further strain on the health sector which has been hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic said to be killing 2,500 Zimbabweans every day. An estimated 24.6 percent of the country's adult population is infected with the HIV virus.
"We are training about 1,000 primary care nurses and over 4,500 other nurses a year. They are still leaving (the country), but the trend has slowed. I am very excited by that," Health and Child Welfare Minister David Parirenyatwa told Reuters.
"We will welcome retired nurses who want to come and help us. One of the most important things about retired nurses is that besides teaching, they are very good when it comes to discipline and ethics," he said.
Nurses normally retire at 60 years. Parirenyatwa said those wanting to return would be screened before they could resume their nursing duties.
Zimbabwe is experiencing its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain 25 years ago and many professionals have left the country. The health sector has been hardest hit as nurses and doctors flock to neighbouring Botswana and as far afield as Britain and Australia.
The southern African country also has a shortage of doctors. About 160 are trained annually, but a large proportion leaves soon after.
Brain drain is only one of several problems afflicting the country, including acute foreign currency, fuel, food and medicine shortages.
President Robert Mugabe, in power since independence, is accused by opponents of and critics of running down one of Africa's most promising economies through a series of unsound policies, including land seizures.
Mugabe denies the charges and says the economy is the victim of sanctions and sabotage by opponents of his forcible redistribution of white-owned farms for blacks.