Health and Sanitation > Annual Workplans > 2017-2018 AWP > ORGANISATIONAL ENVIRONMENT > Human Resources for Health (HRH) performance > Staff recruitment, retention and challenges

The main challenges are to secure sufficient funding for the staff establishment and to recruit suitably qualified staff to be appointed against the vacant posts. The attrition rate for health professionals is relatively high as some have left the service following devolution of services. The Department has shown the ability to fill these vacancies on a year-on-year basis. However, the regular loss of health professionals creates a challenge for maintaining the continuity of services with an extra burden on on-going training to rebuild capacity.

The recruitment of qualified and competent health professionals poses a challenge due to the scarcity of skills in specialist areas. The average age of the workforce of the Department is 40 to 49 years. It is therefore necessary to recruit, train and develop younger persons and undertake succession planning. The average age of initial entry into the Department by professionals is 26 years, e.g. medical officers after completing their studies and internship. The challenge remains to retain these cadres in a permanent capacity. The main reasons for resignations are for financial gain. The following interventions to address the challenges have been identified: Link career paths to succession planning; Prepare strategies to address the approaching loss of staff due to retirement; Promotion and re-designation of staff; Motivate staff through recognition, reward programs, better staff housing or comfort packages especially for staff in remote areas.