According to experts, the shortage of human resources for health in East Africa is a mix of pull and push mechanisms influencing the labour market dynamics. Health professionals will be always attracted by better work conditions and by the desire of career development. Governments are strongly encouraged to source talents in the field of health and support them early on, during their training and educational years, to retain them for the future.
According to Dr Ilaria Donati, global health policy
expert, Italy, and speaker at the upcoming Healthcare Management Conference at Medic
East Africa in Kenya,
“Students at secondary school and college level that demonstrate interest and talent
in health studies should be encouraged by maintaining a productive work
environment and a health-focused curriculum. Governments should build an
incentive mechanism, both financial and non-financial, (e.g. based on benefits
and acknowledgements for people serving in remote areas with bonding contracts
for a limited period) to be able to better retain human resources for health.”
In
reference to the health sector working group report, the healthcare sector in
Kenya faces major challenges such as the number of healthcare workers not
keeping up the pace with the population growth, there is over reliance on
external funding, and low budgetary allocations to the sector.
The
Healthcare Management Conference at Medic East Africa is chaired by Dr. Amit N.
Thakker, CEO of the Kenya Healthcare Federation. It is supported
by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board (MPDB), as well as the
Kenyan Medical Association who will provide 10 CPD points for all healthcare professionals who attend.
The conference will take place from 1-3 September 2015 at the Oshwal Centre in
Nairobi, Kenya, and will feature key issues affecting the East African healthcare
labour market today with regards to growing talent shortages and challenges in
retaining young healthcare professionals.
Medic
East Africa will feature more
than 250 healthcare and medical laboratory companies that will showcase their
products and services to more than 2,500 attendees during the three-day
exhibition. The exhibition will host leading healthcare companies such as Alvo
Medical, Hill-Rom, Shemay LTD., KAM Pharmacy, Richard Wolf GmbH, Olympus, and
many more.
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