Medical Brain Drain: UK Places Nigeria On Red List For Health Workers’ Recruitment

Sequel to the recent mass exodus of Nigerian health workers, particularly, medical doctors, to the United Kingdom and other developed countries, the country has announced moves to stop the trend.

The UK Government has now placed Nigeria on its red list of countries not to be targeted for international recruitment by health and social care employers.

The UK said the development is coming as the World Health Organisation, WHO, last month listed 54 countries, including Nigeria, as facing the most pressing health workforce challenges related to Primary and Universal Health Coverage.

The implication is that The United Kingdom Government would accept Nigeria and other countries on the red list for Health and social care jobs only based on government-to-government agreements.

The information was contained in the UK Government’s official website titled “Code of Practice for the International Recruitment of Health and Social Care Personnel in England”.

 “Consistent with the WHO Global Code of Practice principles and articles, and as explicitly called for by the WHO Global Code of Practice 10-year review, the listed countries should be prioritised for health personnel development and health system-related support, provided with safeguards that discourage active international Recruitment of health personnel.

“Countries on the list should not be actively targeted for recruitment by health and social care employers, recruitment organisations, agencies, collaborations, or contracting bodies unless there is a government-to-government agreement in place to allow managed recruitment undertaken strictly in compliance with the terms of that agreement.

“Countries on the WHO Health Workforce Support and Safeguards list are graded red in the code. If a government-to-government agreement is put in place between a partner country, which restricts recruiting organisations to the terms of the agreement, the country is added to the amber list.”

It said if a country was not on the red or amber list, then it is green.

The red and amber country list does not, however, prevent individual health and social care personnel resident in countries on the list from making a direct application to health and social care employers, but rather without being targeted by a third party, such as a recruitment organisation, agency or recruitment collaboration.

The amber countries where international recruitment is only permitted in compliance with the terms of the government-to-government agreement are Kenya and Nepal.

It added that active recruitment is permitted from green-graded countries where there is a government-to-government agreement with the UK in place for international health and care workforce recruitment.

GWG.ng reports that the House of Representatives passed a second reading which seeks to tie down Nigerian-trained medical or dental practitioners for a minimum of five years in Nigeria before being granted full license.

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