Zimbabwe to enact law banning countries recruiting its health workers

Zimbabwe plans to enact a law criminalizing recruitment of its health personnel by other countries, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has said.

Chiwenga, who is also the health minister, said the drain of health care professionals was as good as human trafficking.

He said stiffer penalties will be imposed on those he accused of robbing the nation of its human capital.

More than 4,000 nurses and doctors have left Zimbabwe since February 2021.

UK’s National Health Service has been an attractive destination for Zimbabwean doctors and nurses as wages are far higher than those paid back home.

Last month, UK halted recruitment of Zimbabwean health workers after the southern African country was placed by World Health Organisation on the red list, which denotes countries facing serious health personnel challenges.