Barbados has lost as many as 70 nurses to overseas recruiters and there is the possibility more could follow suit, General Secretary of Unity Workers Union (UWU) Caswell Franklyn has warned.Franklyn, who led a strike of over 150 nurses between last December and February this year, said many of the health workers have taken up employment overseas as they were adamant they would not return to work here under existing conditions.“I can’t tell you where I get my information from but I can assure you that they can’t deny it – a lot of nurses have left Barbados, I think almost 70,” he said in an interview with Barbados TODAY.“We have very well-trained nurses in Barbados that are in demand overseas and we are bringing to Barbados . . . You had Bajan nurses that were doing it well and you rather them go.”Reminding that he had warned Government that failing to address the issues of the striking nurses would put the country at risk of losing those healthcare professionals to overseas recruiters, Franklyn said he has been contacted by recruiters asking for his help in hiring hundreds of local nurses to practise in the United Kingdom.
