E-DRUG: Cost of retaining essential staff?
------------------------------------------
[although not specifically about essential drugs, I let this pass as essential drug services cannot work without staff. WB]
Dear colleagues,
The points raised by Philippa lead me to ask the following questions, in respect to HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria:
Is there any research out there on what it would cost (Dollar sums) to retain (key) health officers (doctors, pharmacists, nurses, medical assistants, etc) at their health posts (from say district level to the referral hospital), in the face of global opportunities?
Are there documented reasons as to why donor funds (PEPFAR, Global Fund, etc) may or cannot be appropriate for the retention of key health staff within the public health sector?
Is there documented evidence that would point to objection by the other public sector office, of the use of donor funds to retain key health staff within the health service (ie, would other officers/ministries object, seeing that they would not be affected)?
Where such officers are retained y way of such funding (salary), has that arrangement compelled host government to re- allocate funds to other staff's salaries or other services, or nothing happens (ie, the money goes elsewhere)?
I hope I am not being simplistic, but I raise these questions as I feel we need to discuss this issue with facts and figures before us, and to determine what is possible. If we see HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria as health problems that put nations at risk (I believe the term 'national security' has been applied to HIV/AIDS, and rightly so), and therefore requiring emergency measures, 'doing things differently', then may be its time we explored this aspect of healthcare service provision. As others have recently pointed out, there is no lack of money for procuring and delivering drugs to the health post, and PEPFAR is a good example of that fact. But where is the staff to provide care and treatment to those expectant patients?
Bonnie
Bonface Fundafunda PhD, MBA, B.Pharm(Hon)
21 Beverstone Road,
Thornton Heath,
Surrey CR7 7LL
England