Attracting, Recruiting, and Retaining Medical Workforce: A Case Study in a Remote Province of Indonesia

Indonesia, one of the Asia Pacific low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), has suffered from a chronic medical workforce shortage. However, there are limited published studies describing the approaches implemented by the Indonesian government regarding the recruitment and retention of the medical w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2023-01, Vol.20 (2), p.1435
Main Authors: Noya, Farah C, Carr, Sandra E, Thompson, Sandra C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accreditation
Case studies
Education
Health Personnel
Humans
Indonesia
Labor shortages
Medical education
Medical research
Medical schools
Personnel Selection
Public health
Public officials
Qualitative research
Recruitment
Research ethics
Research methodology
Retention
Rural areas
Rural Health Services
Strategic planning
Students
Workforce
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Summary:Indonesia, one of the Asia Pacific low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), has suffered from a chronic medical workforce shortage. However, there are limited published studies describing the approaches implemented by the Indonesian government regarding the recruitment and retention of the medical workforce. This case study aimed to understand the current practices for recruitment and retention of the medical workforce in Indonesian rural and remote provinces. We conducted a case study of the Maluku Province of Indonesia with a document analysis and key informant interviews with officials responsible for medical workforce recruitment and retention. We used the World Health Organization's (WHO) guidelines as an analytical matrix to examine the recruitment and retention practices under the four domains of (i) educational, (ii) regulatory, (iii) financial, and (iv) professional and personal development and classified them into either University/Medical School level or Government/Non-government level. Our findings suggest that Indonesia implemented most of the WHO-recommended medical workforce recruitment and retention strategies. However, implementation is still problematic; hence, the aim of establishing an adequate, sustainable medical workforce has not been reached. Nationwide government intervention in educational aspects is important to magnify the impact of regional medical school initiatives. Relevant programmes must be re-evaluated and re-enforced concerning significance, comprehensiveness, and effectiveness for a sustainable rural and remote medical workforce.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph20021435