Home is home-Botswana's return migrant health workers

The shortage of skilled healthcare workers in Sub-Saharan Africa is aggravated by their emigration to high resource countries. There is evidence that a small number of healthcare workers return to their home countries. It is important to understand the factors that influence decisions to return in o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2018-11, Vol.13 (11), p.e0206969-e0206969
Main Authors: Motlhatlhedi, Keneilwe, Nkomazana, Oathokwa
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Emigration
Health care
Interviews
Medical personnel
Medicine and Health Sciences
Migration
Nurses
People and Places
Population
Professionals
Public health
Qualitative research
Rural areas
Shortages
Social Sciences
Studies
Workers
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Summary:The shortage of skilled healthcare workers in Sub-Saharan Africa is aggravated by their emigration to high resource countries. There is evidence that a small number of healthcare workers return to their home countries. It is important to understand the factors that influence decisions to return in order to develop appropriate strategies to attract more back. This study sought to investigate the perspectives of healthcare workers who returned to Botswana after working in the diaspora. We conducted semi-structured interviews of 8 healthcare workers. Using the thematic analysis method we developed a thematic index to code the data. The main reasons for returning were family ties and missing home whilst the key reasons for emigration were concerns about the quality of health care, lack of professional progression opportunities and feeling under-valued. Difficulties reintegrating into the Botswana health care system are a potential push factors for those who return. Policies that aim to attract back healthcare workers should address professional progression, reintegration and improvement of the healthcare system.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0206969