"Uganda: Pay Doctors Well to Stem Brain Drain"

The Ugandan Health Minister recently announced that 14 senior surgeons left Uganda last year to work in Rwanda, where salaries are reportedly several times higher, according to an editorial on allafrica.com.

Already, Uganda has a severe shortage of surgeons and cannot afford to lose more to other countries. According to the news article, fresh graduates from Uganda's medical schools can expect to earn roughly $270 a month.

While Uganda and many African countries have an immense need for additional health professionals from all backgrounds and sufficient incentives to prevent brain drain, surgery and perioperative services have been particularly neglected. There is no UNAIDS of PEPFAR for trauma care, yet injuries alone accounts for 16% of the global burden of disease. The result is a crisis in health workforce and infrastructure that needs immediate attention.

Story link:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201004070499.html