THE issue of a brain drain among public service workers is a source of concern, none more so in the health sector where most medical practitioners are trained by the Government using tax-payers money.
The proposed introduction of a bondage pledge by the Ministry of Health, which will see health practitioners trained by the Government being compelled to work in Zambian hospitals for a period of time, is a welcome move.
Whereas no professional should be compelled to work in an environment against their wish, it should also be understood that Government is spending colossal sums of money to run the tertiary schools that train health practitioners.
What benefit is the Government deriving by training so many medical practitioners at public institutions like the University Teaching Hospital then soon after graduating they go and work in hospitals outside the country?
We feel the bondage pledge which nurses will now be made to sign will help Zambia get a return on the money that the country invests in training the health practitioners if they will be compelled to work in public hospitals.
This way it is envisaged that those that want to train as health workers for the overseas market must invest in their own training so that only those who feel duty-bound to serve mother Zambia get the chance to be trained by Zambian tax-payers money.
Health Deputy Minister Chitalu Chilufya is right in directing the Permanent Secretary in the ministry to tie up all loose ends to put in place the bondage pledge for all nurses being trained at huge Government cost.
Even the decision by Government to build training schools for nurses countrywide to mitigate the shortage will only be appreciated by members of the public if the enforcement of the bondage pledge comes into effect.
We welcome the announcement by Dr Chilufya that the Government is constructing a national training school for nurses at Chainama Hills in Lusaka with a capacity of enrolling about 2,000 students per year to train them in various fields.
A new school will obviously go some way in mitigating the shortage of nurses countrywide, especially that Government is upgrading infrastructure at the nurses’ training school at UTH while also constructing another in Sesheke which is nearing completion.
It is also a step in the right direction that Dr Chilufya during the graduation of the nurses in Lusaka yesterday called for the broadening of specialisation to break into neo-natal nursing that has been the missing link.
The deputy minister who is a medical doctor by profession, rightfully reminded health workers in the country starting with those that graduated yesterday to serve patients and the nation diligently.
It becomes a matter of patriotism even before we talk about ethics.
We feel this was a timely reminder considering the attitude of nurses towards patients has always sparked debate but surely with more dedication from the nurses and mutual respect from the patients and their carers, there would be no misunderstanding.