Analysis of the Shortage of Nurses in Limpopo Province, South Africa: A Case of Lebowakgomo Clinic

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6549/12283

Keywords:

healthcare, healthcare governance, healthcare resources, healthcare workers, incentives, South African femicide

Abstract

The shortage of healthcare workers across the globe is not a new phenomenon. Several debates have highlighted the significance of providing adequate health services, including sufficient healthcare workers to serve the populace, especially the less privileged. Severe shortages of healthcare workers have hampered countries from achieving Sustainable Development Goals such as goal three, which is: “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.” This paper, drawn from current research, used an archival design (Ventresca and Mohr 2002) that focuses on secondary data analysis. The findings project that healthcare workers are experiencing a higher workload because of a shortage of human resources, psychological distress, lack of incentives, and poor management. As a result, the majority of healthcare workers are migrating due to push and pull factors. The country must develop retention strategies that include incentives such as rural allowances and continuous capacity-building programmes for the health sectors.

References

References

Alperstein, M. 2021. “Employing more Nurses Can Reduce Total Health Costs, Study Suggests.” https://www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2021/05/25/employing-more-nurses-can-reduce-total-health-costs-study-suggests/.

Alwani, S. S., M. M. Majeed, M. Z. Hirwani, S. Rauf, S. M. Saad, S. H. Shah, et al. 2020. “Evaluation of Knowledge, Practices, Attitude, and Anxiety of Pakistan Nurses towards Covid-19 during the Current Outbreak in Pakistan.” MedRxiv [Preprint]. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.05.20123703. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.05.20123703

Arndt, C., R. Davies, S. Gabriel, L. Harris, K. Markelov, B. Modise, S. Robinson, W. Simbanegavi, D. van Seventer, and L. Anderson. 2020. Impact of Covid-19 on the South African Economy: An Initial Analysis, s.l.: South African, Towards Inclusive Economic Development.

Barron, P., and A. Padarath. 2017. “Twenty Years of the South African Health Review.” South African Health Review. Health Systems Trust, Durban.

Bateman, C. 2007. “Slim Pickings as 2008 Health Staff Crisis Looms.” South African Medical Journal 97: 1020–1034.

Buchan, J., H. Catton, and F. Shaffer. 2022. The Global Nursing Workforce and the Covid-19 Pandemic. International Centre of Nurse Migration, Philadelphia.

City Press. 2019. https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/state-trained-nurses-sit-idle-while-sa-faces-severe-staff-shortages-20190116.

Dal Poz, M. R., and R. Gupta. 2009. Handbook on Monitoring and Evaluation of Human Resources for Health with Special Applications for Low and Middle-income Countries. Geneva: World Health Organisation.

Dambisya, Y. M., N. Malema, C. Dulo, S. Matinhure, and P. Kadama. 2013. “The Engagement of East and Southern African Countries on the WHO Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel and its Implementation.” EQUINET Discussion paper 103, EQUINET, Harare.

Dodgson, R., K. Lee, and N. Drager. 2017. Global Health Governance: A Conceptual Review. Global Health, Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315254227-33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315254227-33

Eastwood, J. B., R. E. Convoy, S. Naicker, P. A. West, R. C. Tutt, and J. Plange-Rhule. 2005. “Loss of Health Professionals from Sub-Saharan Africa: The Pivotal Role of the UK.” The Lancet, 365. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66623-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66623-8

Fonn, S., S. Ray, and D. Blaauw. 2011. “Innovation to Improve Health Care Provision and Health Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: Promoting Agency in Mid-level Workers and District Managers.” Global Public Health 6: 657–668. https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2010.489905. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2010.489905

Franke, R. L. 2023. “Nursing Shortage Puts Rural South Africans at Risk: Report.” https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/nursing-shortage-puts-rural-south-africans-at-risk-report-8f18987f-8dd5-4779-b6ae-5d24cd799419.

Gatome-Munyua, A., and N. Olalere. 2020. “Public Financing for Health in Africa: 15% of an Elephant is not 15% of a Chicken.” Africa Renewal, Strategies Purchasing Africa Resource Centre.

George, G., J. Gow, and S. Bachoo. 2013. “Understanding the Factors Influencing Health-worker Employment Decisions in South Africa. Human Resources for Health.” Accessed February 10, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-4491-11-15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-4491-11-15

Haour-Knipe, M., and A. Davies. 2008. Return Migration of Nurses. International Centre on Nurse Migration, Geneva, Switzerland.

Heywood, M. 2014. The Broken Thread: Primary Health Care, Social Justice and the Dignity of the Health Worker. Wits Political Studies Department, Pretoria.

Jeranji, T. 2021, September 2. News24. https://www.news24.com/health24/news/public-health/employing-more-nurses-can-reduce-total-health-costs-study-suggests-20210526-2.

Kingma, M. 2007. “Nurses on the Move: A Global Overview.” Health Services Research 42 (3Pt2): 1281–1298. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6773.2007.00711.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6773.2007.00711.x

Limpopo Department of Health, Limpopo Province. Annual Report 2020–2021. Polokwane: Government Printers.

Maphumulo, W. T. and B. R. Bhengu. 2019. “Challenges of Quality Improvement in the Healthcare of South Africa Post-apartheid: A Critical Review.” National Library of Medicine 42 (1): 1901. https://doi.org/10.4102/curationis.v42i1.1901. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/curationis.v42i1.1901

Mills, E. J., W. A. Schabas, J. Volmink, R. Walker, N. Ford, E. Katabira, A. Anema, M. Joffres, P. Cahn, and J. Montaner. 2008. “Should Active Recruitment of Health Workers from Sub-Saharan Africa be Viewed as a Crime?” The Lancet 371 (9613): 685–688. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60308-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60308-6

Miseda, M. H., S. O. Were, C. A. Murianki, M. P. Mutuku, and S. N. Mutwiwa. 2017. “The Implication of the Shortage of Health Workforce Specialists on Universal Health Coverage in Kenya.” Human Resources for Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-017-0253-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-017-0253-9

Nkomazana, O., R. Mash, S. Shaibu, and N. Phaladze. 2015. “Stakeholders’ Perceptions on Shortage of Healthcare Workers in Primary Healthcare in Botswana: Focus Group Discussions.” PLos ONE 10 (8): e0135846. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0135846. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0135846

Office of the Health Standards Compliance (OHSC). 2017. https://pmg.org.za/committee-meeting/27229/.

OECD. 2004. “The International Mobility of Health Professionals: An Evaluation and Analysis Based on the Case of South Africa.” Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Padarath, A., C. Chamberlain, D. McCoy, A. Ntuli, M. Rowson, and R. Loewenson. 2003. “Health Personnel in Southern Africa: Confronting Maldistribution and Brain Drain.” Health Systems Trust, EQUINET Discussion Paper 4; EQUINET: Harare.

Pappa, S., V. Ntella, T. Giannakas, V. G. Giannakoulis, E. Papoutsi, and P. Katsaounou. 2020. “Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Insomnia among Healthcare Workers during the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.” Brain, Behaviour, and Immunity 92: 245. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3594632. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3594632

Razu, S. R., T. Yasmin, T. B. Arif, S. Islam, S. M. S. Islam, H. A. Gesese, and P. Ward. 2021. “Challenges Faced by Healthcare Professionals during the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Inquiry from Bangladesh.” https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.647315. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.647315

Reardon, C., and G. George. 2014. “An Examination of the Factors Fuelling Migration amongst Community Service Practitioners.” African Journal of Primary Health Care Family Medicine 6 (1). Cape Town. https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v6i1.625. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v6i1.625

Rispel, L. 2016. “The Centre for Health Policy.” Accessed September 30, 2021. http://www.chp.ac.za/Portals/0/FINAL%20Exploring%20Corruption%20in%20SA%20Health%20sector.pdf.

Saunders, M., P, Lewis, and A. Thornhill. 2009. Research Methods for Business Students. New York: Pearson.

Siyam, A., P. Zurn, O. C. Rø, and G. Gedik. 2013. “Monitoring the Implementation of the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel.” Bull World Health Organ 91: 816–823. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.13.118778. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.13.118778

Statistics South Africa. 2021. Midyear Population Estimates. Pretoria: Government Printer.

Treatment Action Campaign (TAC ). 2018. https://www.tac.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/tac-limpopo-state-of-health-report-may-2018.pdf.

Unicef. 2020. Health Budget Brief South Africa, s.l.: Unicef for every Child.

Veld, M., and K. van de Voorde. 2014. “How to Take Care of Nurses in Your Organization: Two Types of Exchange Relationships Compared.” Journal of Advanced Nursing 70: 855–865. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.12247. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.12247

Ventresca, M., and J. W. Mohr. 2002. “Archival Research Methods.” In Blackwell Companion to Organisations, Chapter: Archival Research Methods. Blackwell, 805–828. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405164061.ch35. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405164061.ch35

Voget, U. 2017. “Professional Nurses’ Lived Experiences of Moral Distress at a District Hospital.” Master’s dissertation, Stellenbosch University.

Washeya, F. 2018. “Factors Influencing Retention of Professional Nurses in a Public Health Care Facility in Windhoek, Namibia.” Accessed September 2, 2021. https://doi.org/10.25159/2520-5293/8665. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25159/2520-5293/8665

World Health Organisation. 2006. “The World Health Report 2006: Working together for Health.” WHO: Geneva. www.who.int/. 55.

World Health Organisation. 2010. “Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel.” https://www.who.int/teams/health-workforce/migration#:~:text=To%20improve%20the%20governance%20of,migration%20and%20promote%20workforce%20sustainability.

World Health Organisation. 2020. “Critical Shortage or Lack of Personal Protective Equipment in the Context of Covid-19.” June 28.

World Health Organisation. 2021. “A Review of the Relevance and Effectiveness of the Five-year Action Plan for Health Employment and Inclusive Economic Growth (2017–2021) and the ILO-OECD-WHO Working for Health Programme.” The Independent Research Team.

Yakubu, K., A. Durbach, A. van Waes, S. A. Mabunda, D. Peiris, J. Shanthosh, and J. Joshi. 2022. “Governance Systems for Skilled Health Worker Migration, their Public Value, and Competing Priorities: An Interpretive Scoping Review.” Global Health Action 15: 1. https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2021.2013600. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2021.2013600

Sapsford, R., and V. Jupp. 2006. Data Collection and Analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781849208802. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781849208802

Published

2023-07-21

How to Cite

Mashiloane, Mashudu. 2022. “Analysis of the Shortage of Nurses in Limpopo Province, South Africa: A Case of Lebowakgomo Clinic”. Commonwealth Youth and Development 20 (2):16 pages . https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6549/12283.

Issue

Section

Articles
Received 2022-09-16
Accepted 2023-06-29
Published 2023-07-21