When the USSR had collapsed the opportunities for migration in the post-Soviet countries increased significantly. This process was driven by the economic crisis, low wages and poor social conditions that have been observed in the 1990s. The problem of health personnel migration is topical for Ukraine. Due to official data, each year more than 6 thousand specialists leave the Ukrainian health sector. They go to either work in other sectors of the economy, or immigrate to another country. According to the World Health Organization data of 2005-2007, nearly 777 Ukrainian physicians worked in Germany, 335 – in the United Kingdom and 221 in Poland. Such global movement of health workers has both negative and positive consequences. If a significant amount of doctors and nurses leave the country, the government of Ukraine loses its investments that have been spent for their education. However, due to the same migration process, millions of hryvnia in the form of remittances have been received annually (i.e. money sent by migrants to their relatives). Moreover, this contributes to poverty reduction. In addition, health care providers may later return to Ukraine with considerable baggage of acquired skills and knowledge that will undoubtedly have a positive effect on health system of our country.
International migration of health personnel is a complex and multidimensional global health challenge. Over the past few decades, migration patterns became more complex, and the direction of migration began to include many more countries than it was before. Thus, the question of establishing contacts and cooperation between the countries became especially urgent. We believe that with the right approach to employment, the regulation of migration international cooperation can make a significant contribution to the strengthening of healthcare system, as a professional exchange between the countries, as well as the opportunity to work, and study abroad, is valuable for public health system and for workers in this sector. Promoting circular migration of healthcare workers is also important for achieving the required level of skills and knowledge for the benefit of countries of origin and countries of destination. Speaking about professional exchange, we also should not forget that the international recruitment of health personnel has to be conducted in accordance with the principles of transparency, fairness and promotion of sustainability of health system in general. Unfortunately, within the process of engagement overseas, migrants often become subject to illegal or fraudulent actions of unscrupulous employers and agencies. There were cases of exploitation of foreign personnel in some countries, deception of foreign health workers as to their career prospects, salary and conditions of employment. The solution of problems associated with the regulation of international migration, is of great importance for the healthcare system, not only in Ukraine but also in the rest of the world.
Based on the abovementioned, the Ukrainian Medical Council in conjunction with the Ukrainian Council for Nursing and Midwifery and the Ukrainian Professional Council of Health Protection are looking for health workers, recruiters, employers and professional organizations in the field of public health, relevant subregional, regional and global organizations, in public and private sectors, including non-governmental organizations, as well as all those involved in the international recruitment of health personnel. We will be pleased to discuss possible areas of cooperation on international recruitment of health personnel, in accordance with the ethical principles and legal norms, which are incorporated in the World Health Organization Code of practice on international recruitment of health personnel.
Statistics
Agreement on cooperation
Target recruitment of medical staff
Target recruitment of medical staff is made according to the World Health Organization Code of practice on international recruitment of health personnel, and implies an active search for candidates with necessary qualifications and experience in Ukraine to fill vacancies in the foreign health institution with or without the mediation of recruitment agencies. Thus, the service of target recruitment is available for foreign private and public clinics and hospitals, dispensaries, maternity hospitals, sanatoriums, rehabilitation centers, scientific laboratories, research centers, Ukrainian and foreign agencies involved in the process of medical staff recruitment for foreign medical and scientific establishments.
Personnel recruitment is carried out under the following scheme:
1. First negotiation with the employer (or the intermediary agency).
After receiving an application for personnel recruitment, the consultant in charge will contact you to discuss all the details: demands for the candidate, schedule and plan of work, contract and warranty obligations.
2. Search for candidates.
In the search for candidates, we use the following resources:
- Unified Register of Practicing Medical Specialists;
- Ukrainian web-resources for employers and employees;
- Advertising (our vacancies are regularly published in the most popular specialized publications);
- System of Recommendations.
3. Selection of candidates.
Every employer put forward his or her demands as to the person who is selected for the vacant position. However, we also have own mandatory criteria to the selection of candidates:
- Compliance with qualifications
- Presence of minimal working experience depending on specialization
- Language skills
4. Introduction of candidate to employer and interview arrangement
During the search and selection of candidates for the vacant position employer receives a resume and other documents (upon the consent of the candidate) with detailed comments in a convenient form for the employer. After the approval of the list of selected candidates, experts of the Ukrainian Medical Council arrange online interview with the employer (via Skype) for the first candidate after which the adjustment of selection criteria and list of potential candidates are carried out, after which the following interviews are arranged.
5. The final stage
At the end of the last interview, the employer makes the final decision, proceeds to sign a contract with selected candidate, and negotiates the date and order of further work. During the trial period, the UMC provides regular contacts with the employer and the candidate for the feedback and support of adaptation of new employee.