An Innovative Strategy to address shortages of healthcare personnel in South Africa

Abstract

Background: In order to improve health in low- and middle- income countries the basic health infrastructure needs to be upgraded. Part of the problem is the shortage of skilled healthcare professionals (HCP) particularly in rural areas. The Umthombo Youth Development Foundation (UYDF) is a non-profit organisation (NPO) established in 1999 to assist in addressing shortage of HCPs in rural areas. The aim of this study is to measure the success of the UYDF bursary scheme in achieving this goal by calculating the cost of supporting rural students and estimating the benefits in relieving the shortage in terms of the financial return on investment.Methods: The sources of the data were the UYDF organisational records (finance, human resources and procurement), supplemented by the published and unpublished UYDF reports. The return on investment was estimated through the use of an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) calculation.Results: The UYDF database of beneficiaries showed that by the year 2017 a total of 337 HCPs had graduated and a further 254 were still studying. An average of R17 million was spent every year on the students or R102 015 per student per year. The IRR was 63% higher than interest rates on commercial loans. These graduates are expected to generate an estimated R15 billion in lifetime earnings, which would be equal to R4 billion at current prices.Conclusion: The UYDF scheme relieved the shortage of HCPs in rural hospitals, and the hospitals were able to retain the service of many of the locally sourced HCPs. The costs of implementing the bursary scheme were outweighed by the income generated from salaries, and taxes contributed to the country’s economic development.

Engaging youth in stakeholder analysis for developing community‐based digital innovations for mental health of young people in Ingwavuma community, inKwaZulu‐NatalProvince, South Africa

“…They are accountable to the chiefs, the tribal council and their communities. The Ingwavuma area has a few clinics and schools and limited access to employment opportunities (Gumede et al, 2020 ). Ingwavuma experiences a high prevalence of probable common mental health disorders (Mthiyane et al, 2021 ).…”

Soft skills in developing economies: An African view on the hidden linkage between indigenous knowledge and business perspectives

“…Pedagogy is certainly needed to both prepare individuals for a service in healthcare facilities and to make this service attractive. If applied outside the urban environment, this potential can benefit development in rural communities and the families of the respective trainees; it would encourage them to remain in their jobs, thus providing regular health services where such services are underdeveloped (https://; Gumede et al, 2020). Another approach to increase the skill set of healthcare providers involves business incubators and the process of incubating new businesses.…”

“…In order to forestall or at least slow this exodus, opportunities must be created in the home countries through the creation of local enterprise that promises favorable prospects for the future. The very large informal sectors in Africa"s economies may become a driving force in this effort, and it can also, at least in part, compensate the loss of jobs through closures of larger formal businesses in the COVID-19 crisis (Gumede et al, 2020). The effect of the informal sector/the household industries on local economic development can be largely enhanced by skills deployment, of which soft skills are a key force as they connect to the indigenous background of the people (Tripath and Singh, 2017).…”