Terlepas dari adanya peningkatan, masih terdapat kesenjangan yang signifikan antara penawaran dan permintaan staf perawatan kesehatan pada tahun 2029 di Swiss, menurut laporan nasional tahun 2021 tentang kebutuhan tenaga perawatan kesehatan di masa depan, yang diterbitkan oleh Swiss Health Observatory pada bulan September.

Laporan tersebut memperkirakan bahwa pada tahun 2029, permintaan tenaga kerja di sektor perawatan kesehatan dapat meningkat menjadi 222.100. Dibandingkan dengan jumlah dasar 185.600 staf yang tercatat pada tahun 2019, jumlah tambahan 36.500 staf akan dibutuhkan.

To fill these additional positions, as well as to compensate for those who retire and leave the industry early, presents an enormous challenge to the next generation of health workers. The report further stated these jobs remain difficult to fill mainly due to demographic and epidemiological developments.

The growing need for qualified healthcare professionals is not specific to Switzerland, a trend can be seen around the globe, and it is not a recent trend. Back in 2016, World Bank published the research on Global Health Workforce Labor Market Projections for 2030. It predicts that global health workers’ demand will increase to 80 million, with a supply of 65 million health workers over the same period, resulting in a global shortage of 15 million health workers.

In a previous article, we have also discussed the shortage of healthcare professionals in the Swiss labor market (see Switzerland 2030: The risks and opportunities of digitization). Today, due to the effects of the global pandemic, it might have impacted the situation negatively. The pandemic has brought renewed attention to the frightening shortage of health workers, but remember, this extraordinary situation existed long before the Covid-19.

The same pattern is clearly evident in some other industries and occupations (see Free movement of skilled workers in the EU and beyond are more important than ever), with fewer and fewer young people willing to learn such skills. It is a basic problem and therefore, needs some fundamental changes to effect sustainable action. Share with us your thoughts and let us know your opinion on this topic.