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Physician migration: Views from professionals in Colombia, Nigeria, India, Pakistan and the Philippines

Author

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  • Astor, Avraham
  • Akhtar, Tasleem
  • Matallana, María Alexandra
  • Muthuswamy, Vasantha
  • Olowu, Folarin A.
  • Tallo, Veronica
  • Lie, Reidar K.

Abstract

There has been much debate recently about several issues related to the migration of physicians from developing to developed countries. However, few studies have been conducted to address these issues in a systematic fashion. In an attempt to begin the process of generating systematic data, we designed and distributed a questionnaire addressing several core issues surrounding physician migration to respondents selected on the basis of their special expertise or experience in India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Colombia, and the Philippines. The issues addressed relate to the reasons physicians migrate to developed countries, how migration is related to the structure of medical education, the effect that migration has on the health care infrastructure of developing countries, and various policy options for dealing with physician migration. Though responses varied somewhat by country, a desire for increased income, greater access to enhanced technology, an atmosphere of general security and stability, and improved prospects for one's children were the primary motivating factors for physician migration. A majority of respondents believed that physicians in developing counties are provided with highly specialized skills that they can better utilize in developed countries, but respondents were ambivalent with respect to the utility of educational reform. Responses varied significantly by country with regard to whether physician migration results in physician shortages, but there was widespread agreement that it exacerbates shortages in rural and public settings. With respect to policy options, increasing physician income, improving working conditions, requiring physicians to work in their home countries for a period following graduation from medical school, and creating increased collaboration between health ministries in developed and developing countries found the most favor with respondents.

Suggested Citation

  • Astor, Avraham & Akhtar, Tasleem & Matallana, María Alexandra & Muthuswamy, Vasantha & Olowu, Folarin A. & Tallo, Veronica & Lie, Reidar K., 2005. "Physician migration: Views from professionals in Colombia, Nigeria, India, Pakistan and the Philippines," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(12), pages 2492-2500, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:61:y:2005:i:12:p:2492-2500
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Barnett, J.Ross, 1988. "Foreign medical graduates in New Zealand 1973-1979: A test of the 'exacerbation hypothesis'," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 26(10), pages 1049-1060, January.
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    1. Malik Fahim Bashir & Changsheng Xu & Khalid Zaman & Ghulam Akhmat, 2014. "Key Factors Determining the Rationale for Brain Drain: An Irony Never Recovered," International Journal of Economics and Empirical Research (IJEER), The Economics and Social Development Organization (TESDO), vol. 2(8), pages 308-320, August.
    2. Yasser Moullan, 2009. "Can Health Foreign Assistance Break the Medical Brain Drain?," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne 09045, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.
    3. Sonu Goel & Federica Angeli & Neetu Singla & Dirk Ruwaard, 2016. "Development and Validation of the Motivations for Selection of Medical Study (MSMS) Questionnaire in India," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(12), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Hussey, Peter S., 2007. "International migration patterns of physicians to the United States: A cross-national panel analysis," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(2-3), pages 298-307, December.
    5. Huish, Robert, 2009. "How Cuba's Latin American School of Medicine challenges the ethics of physician migration," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(3), pages 301-304, August.
    6. Blacklock, C. & Ward, A.M. & Heneghan, C. & Thompson, M., 2014. "Exploring the migration decisions of health workers and trainees from Africa: A meta-ethnographic synthesis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 99-106.
    7. Kangasniemi, Mari & Winters, L. Alan & Commander, Simon, 2007. "Is the medical brain drain beneficial? Evidence from overseas doctors in the UK," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(5), pages 915-923, September.
    8. Hennig-Schmidt, Heike & Wiesen, Daniel, 2014. "Other-regarding behavior and motivation in health care provision: An experiment with medical and non-medical students," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 156-165.
    9. Silvia Wojczewski & Stephen Pentz & Claire Blacklock & Kathryn Hoffmann & Wim Peersman & Oathokwa Nkomazana & Ruth Kutalek, 2015. "African Female Physicians and Nurses in the Global Care Chain: Qualitative Explorations from Five Destination Countries," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(6), pages 1-20, June.
    10. Siar, Sheila V., 2013. "From Highly Skilled to Low Skilled: Revisiting the Deskilling of Migrant Labor," Discussion Papers DP 2013-30, Philippine Institute for Development Studies.
    11. Sheila V. Siar, 2011. "Skilled Migration, Knowledge Transfer and Development: The Case of the Highly Skilled Filipino Migrants in New Zealand and Australia," Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, Institute of Asian Studies, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg, vol. 30(3), pages 61-94.
    12. Okeke, Edward N., 2013. "Brain drain: Do economic conditions “push” doctors out of developing countries?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 169-178.
    13. Fletcher-Brown, Judith & Pereira, Vijay & Nyadzayo, Munyaradzi W., 2018. "Health marketing in an emerging market: The critical role of signaling theory in breast cancer awareness," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 416-434.

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