Adding insult to injury: the healthcare brain drain

The impact of the healthcare brain drain is assessed and it is argued that wealthy countries have a moral obligation to reduce the flow of healthcare workers from the developing to the developed world.

Abstract

Recent reports published by the United Nations and the World Health Organization suggest that the brain drain of healthcare professionals from the developing to the developed world is decimating the provision of healthcare in poor countries. The migration of these key workers is driven by a combination of economic inequalities and the recruitment policies of governments in the rich world. This article assesses the impact of the healthcare brain drain and argues that wealthy countries have a moral obligation to reduce the flow of healthcare workers from the developing to the developed world.