Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has stated that Zimbabwe intends to pass legislation making it illegal for foreign countries to hire its medical professionals.
The loss of medical specialists, according to Mr. Chiwenga, who is also the minister of health, is comparable to human trafficking.
He declared that individuals he accused of depriving the country of its human capital would face harsher punishments.
“If one deliberately recruits and makes the country suffer, that’s a crime against humanity. The people are dying in hospitals because there are no nurses and doctors. That must be taken seriously,” Mr Chiwenga said on Wednesday.
“Zimbabwe frowns at this heinous crime which is also a grave violation of human rights,” he added.
Local media say more than 4,000 nurses and doctors have left Zimbabwe since February 2021.
The UK’s National Health Service has been an attractive destination for Zimbabwean doctors and nurses as wages are far higher than those paid back home.
Last month, the UK halted the recruitment of Zimbabwean health workers after the southern African country was placed by the World Health Organisation on the red list, which denotes countries facing serious health personnel challenges.
According to the Zimbabwe Medical Association, the country has about 3,500 doctors for a population of 15 million people.
Zimbabwe is battling an economic crisis that has seen wages decimated by endless inflation.