A large number of young people from the countries of the Western Balkans, including Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), are looking for a better future outside the borders of their country. Most often they decide to go to Germany, where there is always a lack of labor.
The lack of skilled labor in Germany has also opened the door to many medical workers from the Balkans.
Nurse Ivana Stanojkovic is active all day and night, but it is not difficult for her. She is employed at the Department of Neonatology of the University Clinic in Bonn. About 140 medical workers from the Western Balkans work there.
Ivana’s profession was in demand in Germany, and in the meantime, she dedicated herself to the development of professional training.
“I’ve been here for five years now, but after three years of experience here in intensive care, I’ve been given the opportunity for professional development. Now I’m a professional nurse in intensive care and anesthesia,” she said.
At work, communication is done only in German, but in passing you can hear a few words in Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian.
“We have both Germans and people from the Balkans, Serbia, BiH, and Croatia in the department. It means a lot to us because we help each other a lot – we hang out in our department and in private,” he added.
The University Clinic in Bonn also has an Office for recruiting foreign labor. New workers are coming to the already prepared field. Mladjen Petkovic is a member of the team for recruiting workers from abroad.
“For the colleagues who come here, their process begins at the airport. We bring them to our clinic, where they get accommodation, where we help them, not only in obtaining the status of medical technician but also in all important topics related to staying here at our clinic in Germany, ” he said.
In order to maintain the existing standard, Germany needs 400.000 immigrants a year. There is a shortage of labor in all sectors, and the number of foreigners is constantly rising.
Marcel Schmutzler, a representative of the Central Office for Foreign Labor Intermediation, emphasized that a large number of carers in Germany come from the Balkans.
“About nine percent of caregivers currently working in German hospitals and nursing homes come from abroad. A large part of them come from the Western Balkans,” he told.
Medical staff from the Western Balkans make up a quarter of foreign medical workers in Germany. Among them are Ivana and her colleague Milica, who plan to stay in Germany, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
