Sunday 27 April 2008

Are you a Malawian nurse working in the UK? Willing to be interviewed?


A team of film makers from London approached me a few months ago about their intention to try and capture the effect of nurses brain drain from Malawi to the UK by filming and conducting interviews with nurses who have migrated to the UK and also nurses in Malawi who are intending to migrate to the UK. The film would then be used for advocacy to either persuade Malawian nurses to stay in MALAWI or may be persuade the UK government to pay for the loss to Malawi Government .They though I could help them in identifying such nurses and well since I know a few nurses (some of them married to fellow doctors) in the UK I said I would introduce them to the team. Moreover with my interest in writing about health issues on Malawi; I thought it would be good and easy for me to do this. I have proved myself wrong. Despite many attempts to speak to any of these nurses they have all refused to give an interview.
Well, are you a Malawian nurse working in the UK? Or do you know Malawian nurses working in the UK?
Would you or they be willing to talk to the film makers from London?
If so I would appreciate if you contact me so that I link you up.
Email me!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I share your desperation and wish I could help. I was writing a book on Nursing Worldwide: Impact On Immigration last year which I gave up halfway since almost all the nurses I spoke to, were not willing to be quoted - especially on the negative effect of their departure from Africa to the west.

I long to hear your progress - and possibly to watch the documentary once its done.

Keep me posted and best of luck.

Kind regards
Frank
www.nursingworldwide.com

Anonymous said...

I'll be traveling to Malawi in June to report on the nursing situation there for TIME Magazine. I have also found it difficult to find nurses willing to talk on the record in the U.K.

Anonymous said...

Hello Dr Khumbo My name is Bridget Chabunya and I am at school in south africa. I am very much interested in the brain drain Malawi is facing and especially in regards with our doctors. I currently hold the ambition of attending medical school in the US then returning to Malawi to help out in this issue. I was just wondering if you would be able to converse with me since at the moment i am researching on this topic for class. My address is foxy_cleo_69@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

Iam one of those working in the UK
Immigrated for better pay& working conditions. I wish I could help but most of us are afraid of the repercations. However, the malawi government owns a lot to this mess they need to sort out themselves 'they laid their bed they have to lie in it' what did they do when we cried for better pay packages? The officials at Health headquarters ignored our plights enriched themselves by jumping from one workshop/seminar to the other!No, nurses aren't coming back only & perhaps when retired. We are in a very confort zone here.
Angry nurse