Details

Policy Brief

Educator Copy

SOLVING A STICKY PROBLEM: PROVISION OF DOCTORS IN UNDERDEVELOPED AREAS OF PUNJAB

M. Azfar Nisar, Ayesha Masood


INDUSTRY : Medicine

AREA : Business Government/International Economy

ORGANIZATION : Government Of Punjab

LENGTH : 14

LUMS No : 16-313-2018-2

PUBLICATION YEAR : 2018

DESCRIPTION

KEYWORDS:

underdeveloped areas, Punjab, Doctors, health policy, equitable quality healthcare


DESCRIPTION:

Availability of medical doctors in peripheral, underdeveloped areas of Punjab remains a sticky policy problem which has limited progress towards health-related millennium development goals (MDGs). There are multiple reasons for this problem that include an overall shortage of physicians in the country, inappropriate skill mix, inadequate opportunities for professional development, harsh living and working conditions and lack of employment opportunities for spouses of physicians in underdeveloped areas. On the management side, these problems are augmented due to the unavailability of reliable data about health workforce distribution. The best strategy to address this problem is to develop a comprehensive multipronged approach. Specific policy recommendations in this regard include direct recruitment of medical students from underdeveloped areas, introduction of specialised underdeveloped medicine programs, increasing focus on family medicine, provision of financial aid, allowance and better living conditions for doctors serving in peripheral areas, and introduction of mandatory regulatory changes in the short-term. Such interventions must be regularly and independently evaluated to help design better policy interventions in this regard.


LEARNING OBJECTIVES:


SUBJECTS COVERED:

Business Government, Healthcare