Physician migration: Donor country impact

Physician migration from the developing to developed region of a country or the world occurs for reasons of financial, social, and job satisfaction. It is an old phenomenon that produces many disadvantages for the donor region or nation. The difficulties include inequities with the provision of health services, financial loss, loss of educated families, potential employers, and role models and diminished resources with which to conduct medical education. Staff for undergraduate and postgraduate education is depleted. The critical mass for research and development becomes difficult to achieve or maintain, and these disadvantages are not compensated for adequately by increased contacts, the introduction of new ideas, or financial inflow to the donor region or country. The political will of governments and international organizations regarding treaties about the ethics of physician recruitment is called into question by discrepancies between the text of agreements and the ground realities. Amelioration of this situation requires economic development and imaginative schemes by the donors and, ideally, ethical considerations from recipient governments. At the very least, adequate compensation should be made to the donor country for the gain obtained by the host country.