Germany is so short of qualified nurses that its health minister has traveled as far as Mexico City in a recruitment drive.
Nurses have already been recruited from Kosovo and the Philippines as Germany’s aging population is putting a big strain on its health services.
On Friday health minister Jens Spahn signed agreements with local authorities to facilitate the transfer of medical staff to posts in Germany. And he also invited 15 nurses to start training courses in Germany.
Spahn added that because Mexico’s nursing qualifications are of a very high standard they are similar to Germany’s.
Other EU countries have also been recruiting from abroad but there is a downside. As countries lose their own nurses to migration they suffer a brain drain and find they have their own shortages to deal with.
This has been the case for many eastern European states whose health systems have been hollowed out over the years.
Source: euronews
The Mazatlan Post
