The migration intention: a study of health care professionals’ attitude in four Serbian general hospitals

Ivana Kocsicska

doi:10.32976/stratfuz.2024.11

Authors

Ivana Kocsicska University of Miskolc

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32976/stratfuz.2024.11

Keywords:

migration, health worker emigration, Serbian health care, push and pull factors

Abstract

The international migration of health professionals is a significant and complex problem at global level, both because of its negative impact on health systems and its indirect impact on countries' economic development. Understanding the factors that trigger migration is essential to identify and address the needs of the health system. The migration of health workers in Serbia could threaten the stability of the healthcare in the coming years. Given the surplus of doctors in Serbia, the current level of 'attrition' does not pose a direct threat to healthcare, but is associated with the outflow of highly skilled workers and experts, and the loss of knowledge. The main questions of my research among health care workers (n=395) in four public general hospitals in Serbia, concerning the intention of employees to emigrate, are: what are the factors that influence emigration most, what is the relationship between these factors and the respondents' position and gender, and what are the favourite destinations for emigration. 36.19% of respondents expressed an intention to emigrate. Western European and Northern European countries were the most popular destinations for emigration, while the lack of work ethics was identified as the most important factor influencing emigration, but there was a difference in the assessment of its impact between respondents of different job titles and gender. These findings may help policy makers to address gaps in national health system strategies.

Author Biography

Ivana Kocsicska, University of Miskolc

PhD student, Hantos Elemér Business and Regional Sciences Doctoral School

References

AHMAD, O.B. (2005): Managing medical migration from poor countries. BMJ, 331(7507), pp. 43-5. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.331.7507.43

APOSTU, S.A.- VASILE, V.-MARIN, E.- BUNDUCHI, E. (2022): Factors Influencing Physicians Migration—A Case Study from Romania. Mathematics, 10(3), 505. https://doi.org/10.3390/math10030505

ASTOR, A.-AKHTAR, T.-MATALLANA, M.A.- MUTHUSWAMY, V.- OLOWU, F.A.- TALLO, V.- LIE, R.K. (2005): Physician migration: views from professionals in Colombia, Nigeria, India, Pakistan and the Philippines. Soc Sci Med. 61(12), 2492- 2500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.05.003

BEINE, M.- DOCQUIER. F.-RAPOPORT, H. (2008): Brain drain and human capital formation in developing countries: winners and losers. The Economic Journal,118(528), 631–652 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0297.2008.02135.x

CHANCENKARTE DEUTSCHLAND (2023): Working in Germany with the Oportunity Card. Letöltve: 2024.02.28. https://chancenkarte.com/en/candidates/ https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2031-1237

CONNELL, J.-ZURN, P.- STILWELL, B.- AWASES, M.-BRAICHET, J.M. (2007): Sub-Saharan Africa: beyond the health worker migration crisis? Soc Sci Med. 64(9), 1876-1891. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.12.013

DODANI, S.- LAPORTE, R.E. (2005): Brain drain from developing countries: how can brain drain be converted into wisdom gain? J R Soc Med, 98(11).487-91. https://doi.org/10.1177/014107680509801107

EATON, J.-BAINGANA, F.-ABDULAZIZ, M.-OBINDO, T.-SKUSE, D.-JENKINS, R. (2023): The negative impact of global health worker migration, and how it can be addressed. Public Health, 225, pp. 254-257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2023.09.014

HAJIAN, S.-YAZDANI, S.- JADIDFARD, M.P.- KHOSHNEVISAN, M.H. (2020): Factors influencing the migration intention of health professionals in low and middle income countries: Critical review with a theoretical model. Journal of Contemporary Medical Sciences. 6. https://doi.org/10.22317/jcms.v6i6.897

HNILICOVÁ, H.- VAVRECKOVÁ, J.- DOBIÁSOVÁ, K. (2008): Migration trends of Czech physicians. J. Czech Physicians, 147, pp. 49–54.

HUSSEY, P. (2007): International migration patterns of physicians to the United States: A cross-national panel analysis. Health Policy, 84., pp. 298–307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2007.04.005

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (2022): Resolution on the inclusion of a safe and healthy working environment in the ILO’s framework of fundamental principles and rights at work. Letöltve: 2024.01.05. https://www.ilo.org/ilc/ILCSessions/110/reports/textsadopted/WCMS_848632/lang--en/index.htm

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (2023): International labour migration in the health sector. Geneva: ILO Publishing Unit

JANIĆIJEVIĆ, N. (2008): Organizaciono ponašanje. Beograd: Data status.

KIRIGIA, J.M.-GBARY, A.R.- MUTHURI, L.K.-NYONI, J.- SEDDOH, A. (2006): The cost of health professionals' brain drain in Kenya. BMC Health Serv Res, 6. 89. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-6-89

KUPFER, L.- HOFMAN, K.-JARAWAN, R.- MCDERMOTT, J.- BRIDBORD, K. (2004): Roundtable. Strategies to discourage brain drain. Bull World Health Organ, 82(8), 616-619

LABONTE, R.- SCHRECKER, T.-GUPTA, A.S. (2005): Health for some: death, disease and disparity in a globalising era. Toronto: Centre for Social Justice

LIPTÁK, K. (2015): Foglalkoztatási lehetőségek a határon túl – avagy a migrációs folyamatok vizsgálata a kelet-közép-európai térben. DETUROPE, 7(3), pp. 28-49. https://doi.org/10.32725/det.2015.032

MACKAY, D. (1969): Geographical mobility and the brain drain: A case study of Aberdeen University graduates, 1860–1960. London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd.

MEJIA, A. (1978): Migration of physicians and nurses: a world wide picture. Int J Epidemiol, 7(3), pp. 207-15. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/7.3.207

MURATAJ, N.- SYLA, B.- KRASNIQI, Y.- BAHTIRI, S.- BEKAJ, D.- BEQIRI, P.- HOXHA, I. (2022): Migration Intent of Health Care Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kosovo. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 19. 11122 https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191711122

PANTENBURG, B.- KITZE, K.- LUPPA, M.- KÖNIG, H.H.- RIEDEL-HELLER, S.G. (2018): Physician emigration from Germany: insights from a survey in Saxony, Germany. BMC Health Serv Res, 18(1), 341. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-3142-6

PILLARS OF HEALTH (2022): Country report on health worker migration and mobility Serbia. Letöltve: 2024.01.06. https://pillars-of-health.eu/resources/country/serbia/

RADIO TELEVIZIJA SRBIJE (2020): Zašto je stopiran konkurs za odlazak medicinskih sestara u Nemačku. Letöltve: 2024.02.28. https://www.rts.rs/lat/vesti/drustvo/3840294/zastoje-stopiran-konkurs-za-odlazak-medicinskih-sestara-u-nemacku.html

SARAVIA, N.G.-MIRANDA, J.F. (2004): Plumbing the brain drain. Bull World Health Organ, 82(8), pp. 608-615.

SZERB KÖZEGÉSZSÉGÜGYI INTÉZET "MILAN JOVANOVIC BATUT" (2015): Migracija zdravstvenih radnika u Srbiji, analiza uzroka, posledica i politika. Letöltve: 2024.01.06 https://www.batut.org.rs/download/novosti/2015SeptembarNalaziMigracijeRadnika.pdf

SZERB KÖZEGÉSZSÉGÜGYI INTÉZET "MILAN JOVANOVIC BATUT" (2023): Egészségügyi statisztikai évkönyv, 2022. Letöltve: 2024.01.06.

https://www.batut.org.rs/download/publikacije/pub2020.pdf

WITT, J. (2009): Addressing the migration of health professionals: the role of working conditions and educational placements. BMC Public Health, 9 (Suppl 1). S7 https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-9-S1-S7

WRIGHT, D.-FLIS, N.- GUPTA, M. (2008): The 'Brain Drain' of physicians: historical antecedents to an ethical debate, c. 1960-79. Philos Ethics Humanit Med. 10(3), 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/1747-5341-3-24

YAKUBU, K.- DURBACH, A.- VAN WAES, A.-MABUNDA, S.A.-PEIRIS, D.- SHANTHOSH, J.- JOSHI, R. (2022): Governance systems for skilled health worker migration, their public value and competing priorities: an interpretive scoping review. Glob Health Action, 15(1).2013600 https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2021.2013600