The shortage of health care professionals in any economy is a major setback to its progress. In order to overcome such a vital challenge, the development of appropriate health care infrastructure and related education system is necessary. Notably, the lack of health care professionals in Zambia is a grave issue that has troubled bureaucrats, as well as politicians of the country. Several native studies like those published in the ‘International Journal of Innovative Science, Engineering & Technology’ have debated upon the root cause of this issue. And, medical academicians have identified that infrastructural gap, which is more prominent in rural areas, as a major reason.
Low Doctor-patient Ratio in Zambia
The healthy doctor-patient ratio stipulated by the World Health Organization (WHO) is 1:500, which means that there should be one health care professional or doctor per every 500 patients. This ratio in Zambia, according to the reports of WHO and the Medical Journal of Zambia, stands at 1:1200, which demonstrates the acute shortage of health care professionals in the country. This immense shortfall of health care professionals in Zambia has been denoted to two very specific problems, which are, the brain drain, and concerns of work health and safety.
However, in order to tackle this, the Ministry of Health Zambia has undertaken a robust 7-year development plan according to which 650 health care and medical treatment centres will be built across the country. Addressing the brain drain phenomenon, Chitalu Chilufya – a Zambian physician and politician – stated that most health care professionals of Zambia migrate to western countries for better career prospects.
Challenges to Health Care System in Zambia
One of the most shocking challenges faced in terms of the shortage of health care professionals in Zambia can be reiterated by the fact that there are only 1500 registered health care service providersinthe country who work almost 100 hours a week tending to a diverse variety of patients each with their unique moods and disorders. Moreover, freshly graduated health care professionals in Zambia prefer to practice abroad due to the poor working conditions in Zambian hospitals.
A prominent Zambian activist Kangwa Kamando has stated the dire need of state-of-the-art medical facilities in the country’s hospitals. He added that accessibility to specialist healthcare professionals in Zambia is also a challenge that the Ministry of Health Zambia needs to overcome.
How Foreign Education Can Help the Zambian Economy Recuperate?
Several ambitious students in Zambia who seek to pursue their higher education in the medical and health care fields face difficulties in gaining modern technological exposure when it comes to medical tools and techniques. As a result, they relocate to Asian countries like India and Japan that are well known for advanced medical and health care infrastructure. When medical students gain knowledge and experience from such regions, they are able to return to their home country, contribute to a workforce of skilled health care professionals in Zambia, and deliver high-quality services.
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