03120nas a2200217   4500008004100000022001400041245009000055210006900145300000900214490000700223520239600230653001202626653001602638653002502654653003402679653002102713100001902734700001802753700001902771856011202790       2024                        eng d  a2300-168200aThe Emigration of Medical Doctors from Albania: Brain Drain vs Return and Cooperation0 aEmigration of Medical Doctors from Albania Brain Drain vs Return  a5-250 v133 a<p>Across many countries of Central and Eastern Europe the emigration of skilled professionals since 1990 has become a serious problem of the loss of specialised human capital. This paper on Albanian doctors is one of the first to study in depth an example of this broader phenomenon of brain drain from the CEE region. There is a global demand for medical doctors which exceeds supply, leading to international competition in which the richer countries, with higher salaries and better working conditions, attract medical graduates and trained doctors from poorer countries. The migration of doctors from Albania is set within this globalised and hierarchised market for medical expertise. On the one hand, the movement of doctors to richer countries helps to plug the deficit in their supply in such countries and enables the individuals concerned to improve their incomes and life conditions. On the other hand, the loss of medical professionals severely harms the structure and quality of the health service in the sending country. This paper addresses three main questions. First, what are the characteristics of the Albanian medical brain drain in terms of its size, socio-demographics and destination countries? Second, what are the causes and consequences of Albania&rsquo;s loss of medical doctors? Third, what are the prospects of the migrant doctors returning to Albania or contributing their expertise from abroad? Answers are provided via a dual methodology of an online survey of Albanian doctors currently working abroad (N=301) and follow-up interviews with 25 of them. More than half of the survey respondents do not intend to return to Albania and a further third are undecided. Interview data indicate that the doctors are well-integrated abroad and see &lsquo;no future&rsquo; for themselves and their families in Albania. There is, however, a greater willingness to share expertise with the home country via cooperation and short visits. Obstacles to return are partly income-related but, to a greater extent, reflect the poor working conditions and career prospects in Albania, including endemic corruption &ndash; the same factors that caused emigration in the first place. The policy implications of our findings are challenging; one solution is to mandate a period of work in Albania for newly qualified doctors before they are allowed to go abroad.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>10aAlbania10abrain drain10adiaspora cooperation10aemigration of medical doctors10apotential return1 aGëdeshi, Ilir1 aKing, Russell1 aCeka, Amarildo  uhttp://www.ceemr.uw.edu.pl/content/emigration-medical-doctors-albania-brain-drain-vs-return-and-cooperation