Better pay is key to retention

Healthcare pay must improve in the Gulf region if governments are to retain their current workforces and meet quality care goals.

The subject of pay is always going to grab people's attention. It's the one thing that unites workers across the world, because whether a high or low earner, most people would like a few extra dirhams in their wage packet at the end of each month.

It's not surprising then that almost three quarters of people responding to MT's salary survey reported that their pay was too low. As unsurprising perhaps is the claim that pay is too often based on nationality rather than qualifications and experience.

However, what should send warning signals throughout the industry is the finding that 70%, of those who answered the question, said they were thinking of resigning. Mostly to go in search of better pay and working conditions in Western countries.

It might have been alright in the past for healthcare staffing shortages in the Gulf to be remedied by mass recruitment from less developed countries. Luring workers with the promise of eye-popping salaries and the opportunity to help their families back home.

But as the cost of living in the region sky-rockets and the worldwide shortage of healthcare staff deepens, this is not a recruitment policy that will stand the test of time.

The American Medical Association has predicted that it will need 40,000 primary care doctors by 2025, while international nurse workforce experts have said that there will be a global shortage of 300,000 nurses by 2020.

As Western countries step up their search for healthcare personnel the wheel of supply and demand will turn more strongly in their favour. Because unlike the Gulf these countries are bound by race discrimination laws to ensure pay relates only to a person's qualifications and experience - regardless of their country of origin.

Staff from Asia and Africa may currently accept the fact that they are paid fives times less than their Western counterparts. But when the offer of bigger and fairer salaries comes knocking, they will be more than happy to oblige.

This is a situation Gulf countries can not afford to ignore. If they want to retain staff for the future then they must address low pay and salary discrepancies now. If they don't, then all aspirations of delivering high quality care will turn to dust on the heels of healthcare workers as they rush to leave.

Joanna Hartley is the editor of Medical Times Middle East.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Not possible
Posted by Osama, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Thursday 4 December 2008 at 11:06 UAE time


Many companies in the UAE have been affected by the global financial crisis, and have started cutting costs, reducing salaries, making staff redundant...I don't see an increase in my salary any time soon.

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