Zimbo Students Seeking Medical Education Abroad
Starting in 2021, Zimbabwe has lost more than 4,000 doctors and nurses
Zimbo Students Seeking Medical Education Abroad
More and more Zimbabwean students, are choosing to pursue their medical and nursing education abroad.
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Their motivations include better study opportunities, bureaucratic challenges within Zimbabwe, and the increasing demand for international health workers in countries like the United Kingdom and the United States.
Brain Drain and Migration
The ongoing brain drain in Zimbabwe's health sector is exacerbated by this trend. According to a 2023 report from Harambee Africa International, a Rome-based nonprofit supporting African healthcare institutions, over the past two years (starting in 2021), Zimbabwe has lost more than 4,000 doctors and nurses. Departures have increased significantly, with 2021 and 2022 seeing twice as many departures as 2020 and three times as many as 2019.
Government Funding and Bonding
In Zimbabwe, the government funds three-year general nursing training programs. However, there's a catch: after graduation, students must work for the government for a specified period (typically three years) before receiving their diploma or registering with the Nurses Council of Zimbabwe.
Zimbo Students Seeking Medical Education Abroad
This process, known as “bonding,” aims to address workforce shortages. Unfortunately, the stipends provided during nursing school are low, and post-graduation salaries remain inadequate.
Challenges and Opportunities
Interestingly, in Zambia, pharmacology and nursing graduates don't face the same bonding obligation. In Zimbabwe, despite mandatory government internships, nursing job opportunities within the country are scarce. The country trains sufficient health workers, but employment remains a challenge. A 2020 operational plan from the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in Zimbabwe revealed that between 2010 and 2019, only 27% of locally trained nurses were recruited by the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
Limited Capacity
Private institutions in Zimbabwe do not offer general nursing diplomas. Only the Ministry of Health and Child Care provides this course through central, provincial, and mission hospitals. Unfortunately, these schools have limited capacity to train students.
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Thousands of applications are received, but only a few are accepted. Consequently, many students seek training opportunities abroad due to the lack of local capacity.
