Letter: Nurses from abroad

Lance Saker
Wednesday 01 December 1999 19:02 EST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Sir: The Government's ban on NHS trusts employing nurses from South Africa and the Caribbean (report, 27 November) is a disgraceful assault on people's freedom motivated by a dubious sense of guilt.

Morale in the South African health service is at rock bottom, largely because of a series of disastrous policies implemented dogmatically with little thought for their consequences on those who work within that service. If South African nurses were paid more than a pittance for working far harder than they do here, or if they could at least see a future for themselves there, they would not be so susceptible to recruitment drives from overseas.

As it is, the UK government has ensured that the South African government will feel no urgent need to revise the policies that have led to a mass exodus of nurses from that country. Once again, white guilt is serving the cause of Third World leaders far better than those over whom they govern.

LANCE SAKER

Durham

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in