Rich countries' access to foreign nurses during Omicron raises ethical concerns -group

FILE PHOTO: A nurse wearing a protective mask and suit holds the hand of a man in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where patients suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are treated at Victor Provo hospital in Roubaix, France, November 6, 2020. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

GENEVA (Reuters) - The Omicron-fuelled wave of COVID-19 infections has led wealthy countries to intensify their recruitment of nurses from poorer parts of the world, worsening dire staffing shortages in overstretched workforces there, the International Council of Nurses said.

Sickness, burnout and staff departures amid surging Omicron cases have driven absentee rates to levels not yet seen during the two-year pandemic, said Howard Catton, CEO of the Geneva-based group that represents 27 million nurses and 130 national organisations.