Human Resource Issues

Abstract

Given the growing complexities and challenges it faces, reforms in the health sector are inevitable. They generally focus on making the health systems responsive through strengthening financial systems, ensuring local participation and public–private partnerships, and autonomy of health facilities. It is only through these reforms that deficiencies in the health sector can be addressed. The process is also likely to help in developing strategies that ensure effectiveness and efficiency of resource use. However, the reform process makes some fundamental assumptions about the intrinsic organisational and professional commitment and availability of skilled and competent health care professionals. This paper examines the commitment of district-level health officials in the new state of Chhattisgarh in India. Since development-oriented human resource practices are powerful tools that commit health professionals to enhance the quality of care, we believe that health sector reforms should concentrate on human resource issues and practices more than ever. This paper attempts to examine the following issues: (a) the status of professional and organisational commitment and the technical competencies of health officials managing the sector; (b) the characteristics of human resource management practices in the health sector in Chhattisgarh; and (c) the linkage of these management practices with professional and organisational commitment. Finally, the paper discusses the implications of these issues in the health sector reform process.