Most Africancountries have been hit with the problem of “Brain Drain” but the health sectorof Zambiahas been the hardest
hit yet. The staff shortages have been the worst in a longtime. On a normal day, at the male ward of the University teaching hospitalsituated in Lusaka,the capital, when the wards are full and teeming with
patients with all kindsof ailments, it is the norm for six nurses to go on duty.However, it israther appalling to have only one nurse on the morning rounds dispensingrounds, dressing wounds and monitoring the seriously ill patients. The nurse onduty is however not able to take care of all the numbers and this takes a heavytoll on the staff as they have to make do with existing personnel. In a country thathas about nine
thousand nurses, about three thousand and five hundred thousandfill out paperwork needed to work abroad especially the United Kingdombetween 1993 and 2005.The BritishNational Health Service has on its ethical recruitment code, a ban thatprohibits the employment staff from developing countries in Africa including Zambia.Nevertheless,these Zambian nurses find work in the private sector, often at homes for theelderly.Their jobs at thehomes of the elderly are less stressful than back home; their tasks involvebathing them, giving them their medication and making them happy.The Zambian healthminister, Dr. Brian Chituwo says the government has moved to improve thesalaries of health workers. He also hopes that in the future agreements wouldbe signed with foreign governments such as the United Kingdom to allow a limitedquota to work and for a limited period as well. He also hopes toinstitutionalize the signing of commitments for health staff to stay for atleast three years, after being trained at the tax payers’ expense.