Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley, has underscored the pressing challenge of a dwindling nursing workforce, attributing the exodus to global demand and a failure to replenish local numbers.
Her remarks were made on Tuesday during the opening of the Barbados Living Lab addition at the Best Dos Santos Lab, where she reiterated the Government’s commitment to strengthening the health sector.
Mottley acknowledged the severe shortage of nurses, describing it as a global phenomenon driven by aggressive recruitment from developed nations.
“The skill sets that we need from nurses are being extracted at a rate faster than which we are producing locally. AI will never be able to replace the caring and empathy of a human being who is a nurse,” she said.
The Prime Minister stressed that Barbados must take proactive steps to significantly expand its nursing workforce. She pointed out that the perception of nursing as a rigid and outdated profession may be discouraging young people from entering the field.
“Many young people think of a nurse as still in the Florence Nightingale dress and demeanour, but that is our reality,” she said. To counteract this, Mottley called for a rebranding of the profession, one that aligns with modern lifestyles and the aspirations of young Barbadians.
She revealed that the government has already taken measures to stabilise the situation, including recruiting three cohorts of nurses from Ghana to supplement local staff
at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH). Despite these efforts, she acknowledged that more nurses are still needed.
“This government, in the last year, has agreed to the equivalent of the creation of posts that will add another $12 million to the wages bill of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. That tells you the extent to which this course correction was absolutely and utterly necessary.”
Mottley also linked the healthcare crisis to the broader issue of an ageing population, noting that the demand for skilled healthcare professionals will only increase.
“We are dealing with a declining and ageing population, and that means we must build a system that can withstand these demographic pressures,” she said.
Looking forward, the Prime Minister stressed the need for innovative recruitment and training strategies to keep the country competitive in retaining healthcare workers. She indicated that education and strategic partnerships will be key in ensuring a steady pipeline of healthcare professionals. ( CLM)
