Pars Today

Pars Today - The International Council of Nurses (ICN) states that wealthy countries, in order to address the shortage of necessary human resources, have worsened the situation of health and medical services in the southern hemisphere's countries by recruiting nurses from poor countries.

Howard Catton, Head of the ICN, announced at a meeting of African nursing officials held in Rwanda this month that the anger at the actions of northern hemisphere countries in abusing their economic power and hiring nurses from countries in the southern hemisphere was completely apparent.

He added that wealthy countries, by recruiting nurses from poor countries, make those countries dependent on them for a long time and halt the growth and development of healthcare systems in countries in the southern hemisphere, which is a kind of new colonization.

According to regulations published by the World Health Organization, hiring healthcare human resources from poor countries should be prevented. The world body has recommended all countries that hiring from countries on the "Red List" should be implemented with formal agreement between governments.
Catton believes that these regulations are only a kind of ethical recommendation and in practice, there is minimal bilateral agreement in recruiting nurses from poor countries.

Dr. Baboucarr Cham, Head of the National Association of Gambia Nurses, says Gambian nurses are now going to Europe and the US, creating numerous problems for the people of Gambia.

He has suggested that for every Gambian nurse who goes to wealthy countries, the cost of training two nurses should be paid so that the people of Gambia do not lose their vital healthcare workers.

According to The Guardian, countries such as England, Germany, Canada, Australia, and the United States all face a shortage of nurses and partly meet their needs by hiring nurses from poor countries.

MG/ME