Brain Drain Threatens Estonian Health Care

As a result of the cuts decided by the government budget and the effects these had on the healthcare sector, the Estonian Health Board published today some useful numbers for understanding the lack of satisfaction and security existing among health professionals in Estonia.

Summing up the numbers of 2009, the Health Board showed how 286 people employed in the national health care requested to the board the documents needed to go to work abroad.

The number is particularly high if compared with the past, especially since between 2006 and 2008 the number of professionals wishing to look for a new career abroad moved between 182 and 195 people.

An interesting view on the issue came from Mare Parik, manager of Meditalo, a company that help doctors to get opportunities abroad. According to the data collected by Meditalo, the tendency of looking for jobs outside the Estonian borders is high among newly fresh graduate students afraid of not finding space for full time contracts after the end of their studies.

Parik pointed also out that also experienced doctors tend to be tempted by the idea of seeking a better fortune abroad as because of the better earning perspectives, as because other European countries enjoy a better technological development in the field of health care.

Kaili Hjiort from MediRadiX commented the news saying that also the number of dentists willing to go abroad started to increase lately, especially toward Finland. The difference between Estonia and Finland seems to be the different regulation ruling the two markets as, while in Estonia dentists are exposed to the downturn of the economics being considered as private entrepreneurs, once crossed the Finnish border their position are made more secure as they work for hourly fees in health centers.