Title: Towards maximising skilled migration for development in Ghana

Authors: Peter Bembir; Thomas Yeboah; Albert A. Arhin

Addresses: Centre of Development Studies, University of Cambridge, 7 West Road, CB3 9DT, Cambridge, UK ' College of Distance Education (CoDE), PMB, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana ' Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Downing Place, CB2 3EN, Cambridge, UK

Abstract: The debate about whether health professionals' migration impact positively or negatively on sending societies' development has resurfaced in the migration-development nexus. While some argue that health professionals' migration partly account for underdevelopment in many developing societies, others forcefully maintain that it is a major breakthrough for development. In this paper, we argue that rather than viewing health migration as either a gain or loss, African governments could take proactive actions to minimise the loss while also maximising the gains. Using Ghana as an example, we propose for the establishment of a dedicated institution that will proactively seek to ensure that the country maximises its gains from health migration. We further outline four main functions that should be the focus of such a dedicated institution.

Keywords: health migration; development; skilled workers; nurses; Ghana; remittances; brain drain; brain gain; health professionals.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMRM.2016.079423

International Journal of Migration and Residential Mobility, 2016 Vol.1 No.3, pp.233 - 252

Received: 21 Apr 2015
Accepted: 26 Nov 2015
Published online: 28 Sep 2016 *

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