Description: Health Worker Attitudes toward Rural Service in India : Results from Qualitative Research

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Health Worker Attitudes toward Rural Service in India : Results from Qualitative Research

The paucity of qualified health workers in rural areas is a critical challenge for India's health sector. Although state governments have instituted several mechanisms, salary and non-salary, to attract health workers to rural areas, individua...

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Main Authors:	Rao, Krishna D., Ramani, Sudha, Murthy, Seema, Hazarika, Indrajit, Khandpur, Neha, Chokshi, Maulik, Khanna, Saujanya, Vujicic, Marko, Berman, Peter, Ryan, Mandy
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2013
Subjects:	ACCREDITATION BUS SERVICE BUSES CAR CAREER CAREER PROSPECTS CAREERS CLEANLINESS COLLEGES COMMUNITIES DECISION MAKING DESCRIPTION DISEASES DRAINAGE DRUGS ELDERLY EMERGENCIES EMPLOYMENT EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FAMILIES FAMILY WELFARE FEMALE FEMALE STUDENTS FURTHER EDUCATION GENDER GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION GYNECOLOGY HEALTH CENTERS HEALTH FACILITIES HEALTH POLICY HEALTH PROVIDERS HEALTH SECTOR HEALTH SYSTEM HEALTH WORKERS HIGHER EDUCATION HIGHER EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES HOMEOPATHY HOSPITAL HOSPITALS HOUSEHOLDS HOUSING HOUSING CONDITIONS HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HUMAN RESOURCES HUSBANDS HYGIENE ILLITERACY IMMUNIZATION ISOLATION JOB MARKET JOB SATISFACTION JOB SECURITY LANGUAGE BARRIERS LEARNING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES LEGAL PROTECTION LEVEL OF EDUCATION LIVING CONDITIONS LOCAL TRANSPORT MARITAL STATUS MEDICAL COLLEGE MEDICAL COLLEGES MEDICAL DOCTORS MEDICAL FACILITIES MEDICAL PERSONNEL MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS MEDICAL SCHOOLS MEDICAL SPECIALISTS MEDICAL STUDENTS MEDICINES MIDWIFE MIDWIFERY MINISTRY OF HEALTH NURSE NURSES NURSING NURSING SCHOOLS NURSING STUDENTS NUTRITION ON THE JOB TRAINING ON THE JOB · TRAINING PAPERS PATIENT PATIENTS PEDIATRICS PENSIONS PERSONAL SAFETY PHYSICAL WORK POLICY PROCESSES POLICY RESPONSE POOR HEALTH POOR HOUSING POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS POSTGRADUATE STUDIES PRACTITIONERS PRIMARY HEALTH CARE PRIVATE SCHOOLS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROVIDER ATTITUDES PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC SERVICE PUBLIC TRANSPORT RECREATION RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES RESPECT ROAD ROAD CONDITIONS ROADS RURAL AREA RURAL AREAS RURAL DEVELOPMENT SAFETY OF WOMEN SANITATION SCHOOL BUS SCHOOLS SERVICE PROVIDER SERVICE PROVIDERS SICK LEAVE SKILL DEVELOPMENT SMALLER NUMBER SPOUSE STATE GOVERNMENTS SUPERMARKETS SUPPORT TO PARENTS SURGERY TEACHERS TEACHING TELEVISION TOWNS TRAINING HEALTH WORKERS TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES TRANSPORT TRANSPORT FACILITIES TV UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS UNDERGRADUATES URBAN AREA URBAN AREAS URBAN CENTER VACCINES VEHICLE VIOLENCE VULNERABILITY WALKING WASTE WORK ENVIRONMENT WORKERS WORKFORCE WORKING CONDITIONS YOUNG CHILDREN
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2010/11/13151191/health-worker-attitudes-toward-rural-service-india-results-qualitative-research http://hdl.handle.net/10986/13605

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Summary:	The paucity of qualified health workers in rural areas is a critical challenge for India's health sector. Although state governments have instituted several mechanisms, salary and non-salary, to attract health workers to rural areas, individually these mechanisms typically focus on single issues (e.g. salary). This qualitative study explores the career preferences of under-training and in-service doctors and nurses and identifies factors important to them to take up rural service. It then develops a framework for clustering these complex attributes into potential ?incentive packages for better rural recruitment and retention. The study was carried out in two geographically diverse Indian states, Uttarakhand and Andhra Pradesh. A total of 80 in-depth interviews were conducted with a variety of participants: medical students (undergraduate, postgraduate, and Indian system of medicine), nursing students, and doctors and nurses in primary health centers. The information collected was clustered by constructing several hierarchical displays, and collated into job-attribute matrixes. The findings indicate that, while financial and educational incentives attract doctors and nurses to rural postings, they do not make effective retention strategies. Frustration among rural health workers often stems from the lack of infrastructure, support staff, and drugs, a feeling exasperated by local political interference and lack of security.