KINGSTON, Jamaica--At least three out of every four nurses trained in Jamaica have migrated to developed countries, including the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Canada.

The US, UK and Canada have reportedly saved US$26,000, US$22,700 and US$3,800, respectively in training cost for each Jamaican nurse employed by them, according to the findings of a recent report published by the World Bank for Latin America and the Caribbean Region, released Wednesday at a ceremony held at the Hilton Kingston Hotel.

In the meantime, the report said at least 80 per cent of the approximately 7,800 nurses working in English-speaking Caribbean countries have considered migrating.

According to the report, the migration of Jamaican nurses has left at least 30 per cent of the positions in the public health sector vacant.

Researchers said they did a comprehensive analysis of the labour market and education for nurses in Jamaica, Guyana, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Director for the World Bank Human Development Department in Latin American and the Caribbean Dr Evangeline Javier said the shortage of nurses in the Caribbean will worsen over the next couple of years, with the increasing demand for nurses overseas and the dissatisfaction with their salary and working conditions in the region.

In addition, she said, "the shortages of nurses will only continue to increase with the ageing of the population in the region".

Javier urged the Jamaican Government to bring the issue to the forefront of the social agenda, noting that the shortage of nurses was being greatly felt and had weakened the quality and efficiency of the island's health services.

More than 1,800 nurses migrated from the region between 2002 and 2006 to work in more developed countries.