Where TZ doctors go for greener pastures

20.7 Percentage of Tanzanian doctors in North America20.7 Percentage of Tanzanian doctors in Uganda39.6 Percentage of Tanzanians medical doctors not practicing clinical medicine

Dar es Salaam.  With the cost of training one doctor pegged at $60,000 (Sh99 million), Tanzania has lost $11.22 million (Sh18.5 billion) as 184 of its graduate doctors left for abroad to search for greener pastures by mid this year.

The majority of the country’s “missing” doctors work in Uganda, Kenya and North America, as health situation in Tanzania continues to worsen because of inadequate number of medical personnel.

 This figure doesn’t include those who are still in Tanzania but not practicing medicine, a new report reveals.

Dubbed Practice Status of Medical Graduates-Tracking Study of Medical Doctors, a report launched yesterday shows that 8.2 per cent of Tanzanian doctors are residing outside the country.

The report is the product of a survey jointly conducted by Sikika, an NGO dealing with health matters and the Medical Association of Tanzania (MAT).

Almost half of all tracked doctors outside Tanzania are working within Africa with Uganda holding the largest share of about 20.7 per cent (38 doctors) while North America has at least 38.

Kenya is the third largest destination with 16 Tanzanian doctors followed by South Africa (12 doctors), Botswana (9 doctors) and Namibia (6 doctors). East Africa accounts for 30.5 per cent of all doctors that leave Tanzania for greener pastures.

Europe accounts for 14.7 per cent (27 doctors) while at least 8 doctors from Tanzania are working in the Far East (Japan, China, Korea and Singapore). And then, 35.4 per cent of the tracked Tanzanian doctors who work abroad are in Europe and North America.

While the government spends between $40,000 (Sh66 million) and $60,000 (Sh99 million) to train a single medical doctor, four out of every ten who graduate soon abandon their calling to pursue less exacting or better paying undertakings.

The cost of producing a medical doctor doubles if one goes for training abroad, especially in Europe and the US where medical education is still very expensive.

“The government needs to attract and retain an adequate and qualified health workforce in the country’s hospitals.  There is a need for new systems, rules and regulations to influence doctors in other jobs/careers to devote some time to clinical healthcare delivery in order to reduce the workload of those working full time in hospitals,” Irenei Kiria, executive director of Sikika said at the launch.

According to WHO and MoHSW, Tanzania has a 1:30,000 doctor-to-population ratio. This ratio has not significantly improved in the past five years due to the fast growing population. The WHO recommended ratio is 1:1,000.