THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nurses and doctors from Kerala will have the opportunity to move to Wales with their families. Up to 250 nurses and doctors will be able to make the trip to Wales, under a new agreement between the Kerala Government and Welsh Government.
As part of the Welsh Government’s year of Wales in India, Welsh health minister Eluned Morgan signed an agreement with NoRKA Roots CEO-in-charge Ajit Kolassery on behalf of the Government of Kerala to welcome qualified healthcare professionals from India to work in NHS Wales, in the presence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Health Minister Veena George and Chief Secretary V. Venu were among those present. During the visit to Kerala, Eluned Morgan met with some of the nursing and medical professionals, and their families, who will soon be taking up roles in Wales at a reception to thank them and celebrate their contribution to NHS Wales.
Recruiting internationally helps to close the vacancy gap in the short and medium term and ethical international recruitment is a key part of NHS Wales’s workforce implementation plan, alongside significant investment to increase homegrown supply of nurses and other healthcare professionals. In recognition of the importance of the NHS workforce and to support the development of Wales grown doctors and nurses, the Welsh health minister announced last month that over £283 million will be invested in the education and training of healthcare professionals in Wales this year; helping to increase the number of training places available.
The minister for health and social services, Eluned Morgan said: “Despite record number of nurses and other healthcare professionals in NHS Wales, the demand for health care workers globally has significantly increased. International recruitment, alongside our investment and commitment to home grown healthcare staff, is one of the ways we can fill the workforce gaps and rely less on agency staff. Kerala has a long history of training health care professionals and supporting them to come to Wales. I have seen first-hand the tremendous impact these dedicated nurses, doctors and other health care staff have had on our health care services and it was an honour to meet some of Wales’ future workforce as they prepare to come to Wales. I am also delighted that despite the challenging financial climate we have been able to maintain our budget for training healthcare professionals in Wales. This shows our commitment to building a high quality, professional workforce fit for the future.”
