West Bengal, the fourth most populous state with high population density, is also the fourth largest source of migrant labor and needs a major overhaul of its health facilities.
Unhealthy West Bengal: Ever since the brutal rape and murder of a woman doctor on night duty at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9, attention has been focused on the plight of doctors. The equal status of nurses, if not worse, is the backbone of health services and has not received the attention it deserves. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 115,000 health workers and 180,000 people worldwide will have died from Covid-19 by October 2021. Due to the overwhelming workload of survivors, large numbers leave the profession or retire early. When the demand for health workers increased and there was a shortage and high turnover, for more than four decades of my career, nurses from Kerala assisted me in surgery, but now many of the nurses in our hospital are immigrants from West Bengal. And many patients come from there. In a recent letter written by the Indian Medical Association to the West Bengal government, “Peaceful environment and safety are not luxuries. They are a prerequisite. “
Migration within India: Health workers migrate for the same reasons as others: to improve financial conditions for themselves and their families; For better personal and professional opportunities; and to escape harsh social, economic or political environments. West Bengal was once India's most developed state, but has suffered decades of poor governance. Unemployment rate among doctors and nurses in West Bengal is high due to insufficient investment in healthcare facilities by the government and private sector. Those employed are poorly paid and poorly provided with, many lacking even the basic human needs of their staff and patients. The deteriorating law and order situation has further worsened, leading to mass migration of health workers to other parts of India and abroad. West Bengal, the fourth most populous state with high population density, is also the fourth largest source of migrant labor and needs a major overhaul of its health facilities. The ability to relocate within India and abroad with their specialized training is a major incentive for choosing a career in the healthcare sector.
International migration: WHO predicts a global shortage of 10 million health workers of all types by 2030. India is the largest source of migrant doctors. The Philippines, India and Poland are the leading sources of international migrant nurses. USA, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Gulf countries are at the top. The new locations are France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and Japan. Gulf countries have traditionally discouraged their women from entering the nursing profession. All but the Gulf countries have wealthy elderly populations requiring medical care in hospitals and nursing homes. Germany's Triple Win program is designed to recruit foreign-born nurses. Canada and Australia have a points system that attracts migrant nurses. In India and the Philippines, training programs have been adapted to the needs of international markets rather than local conditions. Amid acute shortage of doctors and nurses, the Indian government has opened numerous medical colleges and hospitals. Without adequate facilities, protection and compensation for our nurses and doctors, jobs in the health services sector will ultimately remain unfilled, affecting the adequacy of health services. They migrate to rich countries and become a source of remittances instead of improving our health services. We urgently need to upgrade our healthcare facilities to take care of our growing population and become a major destination for medical tourism.
Dr BS Venkatesh Rao, Endocrine, Breast and Laparoscopic Surgeon, Bangalore.
