Skills adequacy and service delivery among health professionals at Umphumulo public hospital
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Date
2018
Authors
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Publisher
University of Zululand
Abstract
Over the decades, South Africa has experienced skills inadequacy and poor service delivery in the health sector, and the case of uMphumulo Hospital has become of particular concern. In many organizations, skills adequacy and service delivery coexists and interlinks in order to produce quality service delivery. This depends on individual performance evaluations. However, the shortage of skills among health professionals costs a fortune to any country and negatively impacts on employees’ performances, which denies South Africans the quality service they need particularly in the rural areas. Therefore, this study examines the coping skills of health workers and rationalises whether the skills are adequately shared among health professionals in the quest to enhance service delivery in uMphumulo Hospital. The study adopts a qualitative research methodology, through unstructured interviews, with 32 major stakeholders in the hospital. The study finds that the recruitment and hiring of health professionals should not be taken lightly and not be treated as minor issues. Health employees experience stress and exhaustion when they are understaffed. Monetarism has added more burdens to uMphumulo Hospital due to limited funding from government health professionals post are put on hold. Health professionals are displeased with their working environment, because there is lack of resources, equipment and medication. The hospital is also understaffed and has to attend to a voluminous number of patients. This study also suggests rewards, as supported by motivational theories, such as the equity theory (Adams, 1963), as a system for employees to increase their performance and sustain their coping skills. In conclusion, government have the responsibility to embark on human capacity programmes and invest in infrastructural development of hospitals, in the quest to promote effective service delivery. This is attainable through the review of existing policy and implementing of new pro-active health policies in rural hospitals, and uMphumulo Hospital in particular.
Description
A dissertation submitted to the Department of Public Administration in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Public Administration in the Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law at the University of Zululand, 2018.
Keywords
Health Professionals, Skills Adequacy, Skills Adequacy