The Emigration of Medical Doctors from Albania: Brain Drain vs Return and Cooperation
Across many countries of Central and Eastern Europe the emigration of skilled professionals since 1990 has become a serious problem of the loss of specialised human capital. This paper on Albanian doctors is one of the first to study in depth an example of this broader phenomenon of brain drain from...
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Centre of Migration Research, University of Warsaw, and Polish Academy of Sciences
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Central and Eastern European Migration Review |
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| Online Access: | http://ceemr.uw.edu.pl/vol-13-no-2-2024/articles/emigration-medical-doctors-albania-brain-drain-vs-return-and-cooperation |
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| author | Ilir Gëdeshi Russell King Amarildo Ceka |
| author_facet | Ilir Gëdeshi Russell King Amarildo Ceka |
| author_sort | Ilir Gëdeshi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Across many countries of Central and Eastern Europe the emigration of skilled professionals since 1990 has become a serious problem of the loss of specialised human capital. This paper on Albanian doctors is one of the first to study in depth an example of this broader phenomenon of brain drain from the CEE region. There is a global demand for medical doctors which exceeds supply, leading to international competition in which the richer countries, with higher salaries and better working conditions, attract medical graduates and trained doctors from poorer countries. The migration of doctors from Albania is set within this globalised and hierarchised market for medical expertise. On the one hand, the movement of doctors to richer countries helps to plug the deficit in their supply in such countries and enables the individuals concerned to improve their incomes and life conditions. On the other hand, the loss of medical professionals severely harms the structure and quality of the health service in the sending country. This paper addresses three main questions. First, what are the characteristics of the Albanian medical brain drain in terms of its size, socio-demographics and destination countries? Second, what are the causes and consequences of Albania’s loss of medical doctors? Third, what are the prospects of the migrant doctors returning to Albania or contributing their expertise from abroad? Answers are provided via a dual methodology of an online survey of Albanian doctors currently working abroad (N=301) and follow-up interviews with 25 of them. More than half of the survey respondents do not intend to return to Albania and a further third are undecided. Interview data indicate that the doctors are well-integrated abroad and see ‘no future’ for themselves and their families in Albania. There is, however, a greater willingness to share expertise with the home country via cooperation and short visits. Obstacles to return are partly income-related but, to a greater extent, reflect the poor working conditions and career prospects in Albania, including endemic corruption – the same factors that caused emigration in the first place. The policy implications of our findings are challenging; one solution is to mandate a period of work in Albania for newly qualified doctors before they are allowed to go abroad. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e53bf3a6aeec437cb7701dba437a51a3 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2300-1682 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Centre of Migration Research, University of Warsaw, and Polish Academy of Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Central and Eastern European Migration Review |
| spelling | doaj-art-e53bf3a6aeec437cb7701dba437a51a32025-08-20T02:31:21ZengCentre of Migration Research, University of Warsaw, and Polish Academy of SciencesCentral and Eastern European Migration Review2300-16822024-12-0113252510.54667/ceemr.2024.16The Emigration of Medical Doctors from Albania: Brain Drain vs Return and Cooperation Ilir Gëdeshi0Russell King1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6662-3305Amarildo Ceka2Center for Economic and Social Studies, Tirana, AlbaniaDepartment of Geography, University of Sussex, UKSchool of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, CanadaAcross many countries of Central and Eastern Europe the emigration of skilled professionals since 1990 has become a serious problem of the loss of specialised human capital. This paper on Albanian doctors is one of the first to study in depth an example of this broader phenomenon of brain drain from the CEE region. There is a global demand for medical doctors which exceeds supply, leading to international competition in which the richer countries, with higher salaries and better working conditions, attract medical graduates and trained doctors from poorer countries. The migration of doctors from Albania is set within this globalised and hierarchised market for medical expertise. On the one hand, the movement of doctors to richer countries helps to plug the deficit in their supply in such countries and enables the individuals concerned to improve their incomes and life conditions. On the other hand, the loss of medical professionals severely harms the structure and quality of the health service in the sending country. This paper addresses three main questions. First, what are the characteristics of the Albanian medical brain drain in terms of its size, socio-demographics and destination countries? Second, what are the causes and consequences of Albania’s loss of medical doctors? Third, what are the prospects of the migrant doctors returning to Albania or contributing their expertise from abroad? Answers are provided via a dual methodology of an online survey of Albanian doctors currently working abroad (N=301) and follow-up interviews with 25 of them. More than half of the survey respondents do not intend to return to Albania and a further third are undecided. Interview data indicate that the doctors are well-integrated abroad and see ‘no future’ for themselves and their families in Albania. There is, however, a greater willingness to share expertise with the home country via cooperation and short visits. Obstacles to return are partly income-related but, to a greater extent, reflect the poor working conditions and career prospects in Albania, including endemic corruption – the same factors that caused emigration in the first place. The policy implications of our findings are challenging; one solution is to mandate a period of work in Albania for newly qualified doctors before they are allowed to go abroad.http://ceemr.uw.edu.pl/vol-13-no-2-2024/articles/emigration-medical-doctors-albania-brain-drain-vs-return-and-cooperationalbaniaemigration of medical doctorsbrain drainpotential returndiaspora cooperation |
| spellingShingle | Ilir Gëdeshi Russell King Amarildo Ceka The Emigration of Medical Doctors from Albania: Brain Drain vs Return and Cooperation Central and Eastern European Migration Review albania emigration of medical doctors brain drain potential return diaspora cooperation |
| title | The Emigration of Medical Doctors from Albania: Brain Drain vs Return and Cooperation |
| title_full | The Emigration of Medical Doctors from Albania: Brain Drain vs Return and Cooperation |
| title_fullStr | The Emigration of Medical Doctors from Albania: Brain Drain vs Return and Cooperation |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Emigration of Medical Doctors from Albania: Brain Drain vs Return and Cooperation |
| title_short | The Emigration of Medical Doctors from Albania: Brain Drain vs Return and Cooperation |
| title_sort | emigration of medical doctors from albania brain drain vs return and cooperation |
| topic | albania emigration of medical doctors brain drain potential return diaspora cooperation |
| url | http://ceemr.uw.edu.pl/vol-13-no-2-2024/articles/emigration-medical-doctors-albania-brain-drain-vs-return-and-cooperation |
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