Greener pastures and HIV/AIDS in Africa (3)
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Dear Sarah,
Your post was interesting and to some extent a little naive. These are my reasons:
1. Motivation of health workers
Nobody anywhere is purely altruistic. I would hazard a guess that even Florence Nightingale was not altruistic - she was working for God, and there are benefits to working for Him. Why do we expect our health workers to be different? Why do we want them to put up with a salary that does not change for over 17 years? They have needs and desires like anybody else and being health professionals is not an excuse not to be human.
2. Locus of responsibility
AIDS is a tricky and sensitive issue. I am happy that we have moved from stigma to a more "live and let live" attitude towards the epidemic. But, why are people not taking to heart the message?
Again, I do not see the link between many people getting infected and health workers moving to Europe (or elsewhere). If the health workers are not given tools to provide services, they WILL migrate to where they feel they can offer their services at market rates and to their satisfaction.
Interestingly, not all are migrating. Maybe the question to ask is why these are not and to make things better for them and try to reduce the numbers. Let us not blame them for wanting to improve their lives. Please.
3. Patriotism
In an era of capitalism, selfishness and greed, patriotism does stick in the throat, yes? You were "patriotic" to join the health profession. You were "patriotic" to agree to be sent to a rural health facility. You were "patriotic" to work without promotion or salary increase, without tools, and with no post qualification training and sometimes no holidays for the last 10 or more years. Now that you are tired and want to better yourself, you are told that you should be more patriotic? I do not understand.
Governments, just as businesses, need to make their employees committed to the organisation's goals. Businesses pay their employees well, give them tools to work and monitor and evaluate what they do. They give them goals and targets. They improve the working environment to get the most out of them. Why shouldn't governments be a little more profit maximisation oriented? Yes, there are the public goods arguments and I agree...but that does not mean that they should not strive to get their act well.
4. Traditional healers
Another tricky issue. I would argue for a coherent long term plan to look at issues related to them but not to turn to them just because HIV/AIDS etc has become a menace to society. What happens if we got a cure for HIV/AIDS?
Let us agree on a few things...migration either way will continue to happen - Europeans and others will come to Africa, and we will go there. Accept this and work with it. Did you know that our people in Europe and the Americas send more to us than we are given as Aid? Maybe this money should be put to better use. Maybe we should get our people in the west to invest in Africa. Maybe we should stop fighting and begin healing, begin building Africa....
Patrick Mbindyo
mailto:p_mbindyo@yahoo.com