Assignment Brief

Advise the government of Tanzania and other developing countries on the policy to attract
health workers to clinical settings within their home countries, taking into account the
interests of the important stakeholder groups. (30)

Migration of health workers searching for greener pastures is an acute problem experienced
by developing countries (Sirili and Simba, 2021; Mdegela et al., 2022). This aspect of brain
drain common in developing countries namely Tanzania, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Botswana,
Mozambique among others. As a result, shortage of health workers is a critical contemporary
problem in developing nations like Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Therefore, developing strategies
and policies to attract health workers from other countries and to limit movement of health
workers to developed nations is essential in these countries (Sirili et al., 2022; Makuku and
Mosadeghrad, 2022). Various strategies should be considered when formulating policies to
attract medical staff to clinical settings within their home countries. These include improving
working conditions in clinical setting, implementing competitive salaries and benefits,
providing professional development opportunities, developing partnerships with various
organisations , establishing telemedicine services, investing in healthcare infrastructure and
having clear legal framework related to movement of healthcare professionals. The
formulation of effective policies to attract health workers requires a comprehensive approach
that takes into account various factors.

In order to attract health workers to clinical settings within their home countries improved
working conditions are significant in developing countries (Muthuri et al., 2020; Mukuku and
Mosadeghrad, 2022). This implies that attraction of health workers require government of
Tanzania to focus on improving the working conditions in their clinical settings. This
includes providing adequate infrastructure, equipment, and resources, as well as ensuring a
clean and safe working environment. Improving working conditions also include ensuring
availability of adequate staff at all levels with the health sector (Shilinge, 2022;
Kamarulzaman et al., 2022) This entails that countries like Kenya, Uganda and Burundi
should provide a supportive work environment to their health workers (Muthuri et al., 2020).
Additionally, improved working standards must involve provision of free accommodation
and transportation to workers in the medical sector. Governments of Tanzania and other
developing countries like Mozambique, South Africa and Malawi should offer assistance to
health workers who wanted to relocate within the country. Improved living standards coupled
by working conditions for health workers limit their migration to developed countries while
the situation is also appealing to an extent of attracting health workers from developed
countries (Wintrup, 2022).

Banda-Chitsamatanga and Malinga (2021) and Noormahomed et al., (2022) noted that
offering competitive salaries and benefits to health workers plays a pivotal role to attract
health workers. Therefore, government of Tanzania and other developing countries like
Malawi and Democratic Republic of Congo should offer reasonable salaries and benefits
packages. This means they must provide high salaries, bonuses among other incentives to
entice health professionals to work in their home countries. In order to improve lives of
health workers, governments in developing countries should offer loans to health workers
(Mudzonga, 2020; Wintrup, 2022). Provision of loans to health workers enhance quality of
their lives, thus reducing brain drain in the health sector while attracting others from within
and outside the country to join their health sector. Governments in developing countries
including Tanzania should implement loan forgiveness programs directed to health workers.
This assist in reducing financial burden among health workers hence paving a route to attract
more health workers to join Tanzania workforce in the health sector. Loan forgiveness
programs can be appealing to professionals who have studied in developed countries and are
burdened with high levels of debt (Efendi et al., 2021; Sirili and Simba, 2021).

Moreover, in order to attract health workers, governments in developing countries such as

Tanzania and Ethiopia should provide professional development opportunities to health
workers (Mabuda et al., 2021; Oladeji et al., 2022). Similarly, countries like Namibia and
Angola should offer free opportunities for health workers to continue with their academics.
Health workers should be given chances to improve their knowledge through aspects like
education courses, workshops and conferences (Hashish and Ashour, 2020; Titus et al.,
2022). This help professionals maintain and advance their skills, making them
more likely to stay in their home country while attracting foreigners. Health professional
development programs in Tanzania must encompass offering scholarships and training
programs to health workers. By establishing scholarships and training programs for health
workers, developing countries can not only attract professionals to their home countries but
also create a pool of skilled workers for the future. This is supported by Efendi et al., (2021)
that governments can implement policies that support ongoing professional development and
opportunities for specialisation within the healthcare sector to curb brain drain.
Government of Tanzania and governments of other nations like Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda
must develop partnerships with various organisations. Collaboration with other national and
international organisations strengthen health sectors in developing countries (Nkomazana,
2022; Adebis et al., 2022). Developing countries benefit from collaborating with international
organisations that specialise in healthcare workforce development. A view supported by
Rubagumya et al., (2020) and Motiwala and Ezezika (2022) that partnerships provide
technical assistance, funding support, knowledge exchange and capacity-building initiatives
that strengthen the local healthcare workforce. As a result, internal people and foreigners will
be eager to join the health sector due to popularity of the health sector in the country.
Additionally, if the government is supported by other organisations, it provides quality health
services (Mohamoud, 2020; Kamel, 2020). Enhancing the quality of healthcare services
attract health workers by creating an environment where professionals feel confident in the
care they are providing. Collaborating with international organisations such as the World
Health Organization, World Bank and the United Nations Development Program help
developing countries to attract health workers by providing funding, technical assistance and
expertise. Developing countries such as Tanzania and Ethiopia can form partnerships with
healthcare providers and institutions from developed countries to attract health workers.
These partnerships include joint ventures, training programs and research collaborations
(Mdegela et al., 2022; Makuku and Mosadeghrad, 2022).

Furthermore, telemedicine services is among the topical issues in the 21 st century ( ). In

order to attract health workers to clinical settings within Tanzania and other countries like
Mali and Sudan, establishment of telemedicine services is essential. Telemedicine services
attract health workers by providing opportunities for professionals to work remotely, offering
flexible work arrangements and allowing them to maintain a better work-life balance (
). Consequently, telemedicine have potential to attract citizens to join medical sector while
attracting skilled health professionals from foreign nations. Most importantly, telemedicine
approach pave route to offer quality services to patients as well as workers ( ).
Therefore, it promotes positive image of a country as compared to other nations across the
globe. A positive image of the country attract health workers by showcasing the opportunities
and benefits of working in the country. This clearly, signifies that if telemedicine is clearly
implemented in Tanzania and other less developed nations like Burkina Faso out-migration of
health workers is reduced while inflow of health professionals from other countries increased.
Lastly, investing in healthcare infrastructure and formulation of clear legal framework
directed to healthcare attract medical professionals from other countries (Roets et al., 2020;
Banda-Chitsamatanga and Malinga, 2021). Hence, Tanzania like other developing countries
encompassing Somalia, Rwanda and Zimbabwe much invest in current healthcare
infrastructure to attract healthcare workers within and outside Tanzania. A view upheld by
Mohamoud (2020) that a well-equipped healthcare infrastructure is essential for providing
quality care and attracting health workers. Tanzania must formulate policies aimed at
investing in the development of healthcare facilities including hospitals, clinics and medical
laboratories as well as ensuring access to modern equipment. Similarly, supportive regulatory
framework is important for creating an enabling environment for health workers (Mabunda et
al., 2021; Motiwala and Ezezika, 2022). This includes establishing clear guidelines for
professional practice, ensuring adherence to ethical standards and providing legal protections
for health workers in Tanzania and other developing nations like Burundi and Morocco.
Governments in developing countries like Tanzania should implement policies which lessen
burden among health workers when the cross borders into their country. Governments must
speedy administrative processes related to licensing, certification and registration of health
professionals from other countries (Mudzonga, 2022; Noormahomed et al., 2022). This
increase eagerness of foreigners to join the health sector in Tanzania while limiting
movement of health workers out of Tanzania.

In conclusion, in Tanzania formulating policies to attract health workers to clinical settings

within their home countries requires a multi-faceted approach that addresses various aspects
of the healthcare system. This scenario is also visible in other developing nations like
Burundi, Rwanda, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana. However, by focusing on
improving working conditions, offering competitive remuneration, providing career
development opportunities, investing in healthcare infrastructure, establishing a supportive
regulatory framework and adopting telemedicine. The government of Tanzania and other
developing countries have potential to create an environment that attracts health workers
from other countries and retains health workers within their borders.
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