Health Workforce and Budget

Introduction

Health lies at the center global issues and is being focused as an agenda in global development. As argued by Vujicic, Ohiri & Spakes (2009 p.xv) health workers remain at the middle of every system of health, but the number of staffs is far below the required level of delivering essential services of heath especially in the developing countries. Many factors limit the ability to improve the workforce. Among them is the inadequate training capability, deviation by health workers to work in health-allied occupations, and frequent migration. Discussed is the overall wage bill budget, structure of health agencies, and quality, accountability and innovations of health workforce.

Government limitations in overall wage bill expansion can result to inadequate resources meant to hire health workers. Although fiscal constrains in developing countries is a major threat to delivering of health, the government needs to put into consideration the impact brought about by policies of wage bill. It is evident that wage bills have restrictions which constrain improvement of the workforce in health sector. A survey done in developing countries revealed that there are considerable weaknesses found in policies and practices of recruiting, deploying, transferring, promoting, sanctioning, and paying of the health workers. Processes of recruiting staffs are overwhelmed by delays and ill-focusing of areas experiencing staff shortages. Salaries and allowances are not utilized fully in providing firm incentives which can minimize absenteeism and maximize rural practice.

Wage bill resources on hand are spent partially, therefore, necessitating a scope of utilizing them more purposefully (Vujicic, Ohiri & Spakes, 2009. p.xvi). Thus, improving the above weaknesses is of importance than wage bill expansion in addressing the challenges faced by the health workers.

Another major issue is the structure of the federal health agencies. As shown by Levi (2009, p.88), the health structure needs to be restructured since it is broken. It faces major limitations which include lack of patent and strong headship, inadequate staffs, and poor coordination within and across agencies of health in centralized governments. As recommended by Levi (2009, p.88), extensive considerations of health issues should be ensured within the administrative offices, roles and responsibilities among agencies should be clarified, proper division of labor be ensured and lastly, implementing accountability in health leadership.

Also, quality, accountability and innovation should be ensured as they lay a foundation in improving the workforce. Governments should allocate adequate funding to establish commissions that will provide leadership which advocates more transparent and responsible health systems, and, give health prominence nationally as in Australia government.