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Successful approach curbs loss of Pacific health workers

Investing in continuing education opportunities and ongoing workforce support has seen NZ eye health NGO The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ buck the trend of workforce migration in the Pacific. The Foundation reports 95% retention of eye care personnel trained within its Pacific Regional Blindness Prevention Programme over the last seven years.

Recent research by the University of Sydney suggests there are about 2950 nurses and midwives from 10 Pacific Island countries working in Australia and New Zealand, and just over 3800 remaining to work in those countries.

The World Health Organisation estimates the annual cost to the Fiji government for each doctor it loses is approximately US$304,000 in training costs and a further US$61,000 per year in salary costs over and above what it would cost to employ local doctors.

According to Executive Director Carmel Williams, The Fred Hollows Foundation New Zealand seeks to specifically address many of the causes of job dissatisfaction and attrition in the region, namely inadequate facilities and equipment or drug shortages; severely compromised health systems and the limited scope to extend qualifications. Williams notes “the number of health workers per 1,000 population in many Pacific countries is at critical levels. This means that basic health services can often not be sustained. In addition, the cost of overseas referrals often represents a disproportionate amount of national health budgets in the Pacific. Our experience has shown that investment in local tertiary-level training, backed up by ongoing workforce support (e.g. mentoring, equipment procurement and continuing education) can result in a stable, local work force delivering quality local health services for the long term.”

The economic impact of retaining local workers is large: Pacific governments save money by not having to refer patients overseas or to employ expatriate doctors; the New Zealand Government does not have to cover patient transfer and visiting team costs; and the overall skill level in-country is raised.

An independent evaluation of The Foundation’s Pacific work, commissioned by major funder NZAID, praised its “innovative approach in focusing on the sustainable development of services and the people who deliver those services, in a way that best meets the needs of the Pacific.” The review noted that The Foundation’s work has provided further value for NZAID in ‘branding’ New Zealand as making a positive contribution in the Pacific.

ENDS///

March 1 – 7 is The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ’s national appeal week. If you would like to contribute to its efforts to train and equip more Pacific eye doctors and restore sight to the 80,000 needlessly blind in the Pacific, call the 24 Hour donation line 0800 227 229 or donate online at www.hollows.org.nz

References:

1. Negin, J. Australia and New Zealand’s contribution to Pacific Island health worker brain drain. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. 2008, vol 32 (6), pp 507-511. The ten countries are: Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands, Nauru, Tuvalu, Vanauatu, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands.
2. World Health organisation Regional Office for the Western Pacific. The Migration of Skilled Health Personnel in the Pacific Region. Manila (PHL): WHO; 2004

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