TUNIS, April 14 (TAP) - The immigration of healthcare professionals represents a major challenge to the Tunisian healthcare system, if no major measures are taken to deal with it, according to a survey entitled «Immigration of Healthcare Professionals: Challenges for the Tunisian Healthcare System», recently published by the Tunisian Institute of Strategic Studies (French: ITES).

The survey offers an in-depth analysis of the situation and calls for concrete action to be taken so as to combat the phenomenon of immigration of healthcare professionals.

According to figures provided by the Tunisian Technical Cooperation Agency (French: ATCT) included in the survey, the number of cooperators in the health sector is increasing more quickly than the overall number of cooperators.

From 2016-2022, the average annual growth rate of healthcare cooperators was 8% compared to 5% in total, the same source said.

Healthcare professionals (nurses, senior technicians, midwives, etc.) represent on average 72% of total recruits, including specialist doctors (21% on average) and only 7% for general practitioners over from2009 to 2022. Until April 2023, the share of «healthcare personnel» recruits exceeded 92% of the total healthcare recruitments.