Medical workforce

Most OECD countries have long term policies to support the training and employment of enough physicians for their population. However, most of these countries also employ physicians trained elsewhere as an interim method to address the short- to medium-term shortages. While this is the case, there is a need for a global framework that enforces ethical migration policies aimed at redressing the balance between home and host country health systems. In the long term, OECD countries need to implement appropriate education and training policies rather than rely on physician migration to address their future needs. See Impact, regulation and health policy implications of physician migration in OECD countries.

The migration of over 5000 doctors from sub-Saharan Africa to the United States (USA) has had a significantly negative effect on the doctor-to-population ratio of Africa. The migration of physicians from sub-Saharan Africa to the United States of America reveals that most physicians migrating to the US come from only a few countries and medical schools. They argue that policy interventions in only a few locations could be effective in stemming the brain drain.

Abundant for the few, shortage for the majority discusses medical workforce imbalances in Thailand. The authors describe how there are 23 times more doctors in the capital city than in the lowest doctor per population province. Reasons for this imbalance include: the rapid capitalistic economic growth with rapid expansion of the urban private hospitals, the opportunity for continuing education, the urban origin of the graduates, and the influx of foreign patients.
Post-conflict environments pose a particular challenge to reforming health systems. The providers of health services in Lebanon: a survey of physicians considers the supply of physicians in Lebanon in 1998, looking specifically at practice patterns and capacity building. The authors find that there is an oversupply of physicians and not enough of their time is being used for capacity building. They suggest that decision makers need to closely monitor the increasing supply of providers and make appropriate interventions strategies.