Three experts from Copenhagen University warn Denmark not to recruit foreign nurses from India and the Philippines, as it can result in more diseases and ultimately higher mortality rates in their home countries. They state, that the drainage of educated healthcare personnel from other countries is an issue as those countries are also struggling with a lack of nurses.
Nanna Maaløe, a Danish doctor and researches is global reproductive health, told the Danish newspaper Information, that the decision to hire foreign nurses from non-EU countries is not ethically correct. She says, that so-called high-income countries already have some of the most effective healthcare systems, and therefore it is not an ethical way to share the world’s resources.
The Danish minister of education and research, Christina Egelund, denies that the government’s proposal is unethical. She states, that India is aiming at a higher level of education among the population in both healthcare and other sectors. Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO) allegedly told her on a visit to their department in India, that the country does not have issues with recruiting more nurses. This is due to a surplus of nurses in certain Indian states.
Nanna Maaløe rebuttals the statement and says unemployment in so-called low-income and medium-income countries can be symptomatic of a fragile healthcare system. She also says, one cannot make broad generalizations about the healthcare system in India.
The Danish government stated in january, that they are looking into the possibility of hiring nurses and other healthcare person from non-EU countries. The proposal calls for 1000 nurses and healthcare workers to get easier access to job opportunities in Denmark. According to Christina Egelund, India and the Philippines are ready to discuss future collaborations on recruitment.
Source: nordjyske.dk
