Durbin Says World Cannot Ignore Critical Global Shortage of Health Personnel

DURBIN SAYS WORLD CANNOT IGNORE CRITICAL GLOBAL SHORTAGE OF HEALTH PERSONNEL

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today said that the world cannot ignore the critical shortage of doctors, nurses and other health personnel, adding that it is considered the single biggest obstacle to fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa. Durbin pointed to a report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) which found that "there is a universal shortage of 4.3 million healthcare workers, but the crisis is most severe in Africa."

"This is an alarming report. It shows that we face a global health crisis with profound consequences," Durbin said.

Durbin added that he is committed to fully funding existing health professional programs aimed at alleviating the shortages here at home because the United States is experiencing a shortage of doctors, nurses, and other health personnel, especially in rural areas and in some large cities.

But he pointed to nations like Ethiopia, where there are only 3 doctors and only 20 nurses per 100,000 people. "In the U.S., we have 549 doctors and 773 nurses per 100,000 people. And yet, according to Ambassador Randall Tobias, who has been confirmed as the first U.S. Director of Foreign Assistance, there are more Ethiopian-trained doctors in Chicago than in Ethiopia," Durbin said.

The WHO report identifies the increasing migration of health workers from the poorest countries to the richest as representing a "loss of hope and years of investment."

"This ‘brain drain' is impacting million of lives in Africa. Africa loses 20,000 health professionals each year; they leave to staff the hospitals and offices of Europe and North America. Their countries lose the investments they have made in their education and training and the benefit of their skills at a time when AIDS is ravishing the African continent," Durbin said.

Durbin added that while it is convenient to fill the U.S. shortage of health professionals by recruiting overseas, there must be a long range and balanced approach to this problem.

Durbin offered an amendment to address this issue during the Senate's debate on immigration. Under Durbin's proposed amendment, those applying for legal status to work as health professionals in America must answer whether they signed a bond or made a promise to work in their home country in exchange for educational support. If the answer is affirmative, then they must fulfill that commitment before being allowed to work in the U.S.

Additionally, the amendment would allow legal permanent resident doctors and nurses to travel to developing countries to assist with health emergencies without jeopardizing their own immigration status in the U.S.

"We must find a way to allow immigrants to make a difference in global health crises without sacrificing their own American dreams. America is a land of opportunity; it is also a land of compassion. Any comprehensive immigration reform must reflect both," Durbin concluded.

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