Myanmar's human resources for health: current situation and its challenges

Abstract

Background Human resources for health (HRH) are the cornerstone of health systems, enabling the improvement of health service coverage. The systematic fortification of healthcare in Myanmar has accelerated since a new ruling party took office. Since 2006, Myanmar has been listed as one of the 57 crisis countries facing critical health workforce shortages. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the current situation of HRH in the public health sector where major healthcare services are provided to the people of Myanmar. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to May 2017 by collecting secondary data from the official statistic of the Ministry of Health and Sports (MoHS), official reports, press-releases, and presentations of Government officials. The data were collected using a formatted excel spreadsheet. A descriptive analysis was applied and the density ratio per 1,000 population for medical doctors and health workers was calculated. Findings In total, 16,292 medical doctors and 36,054 nurses working at 1,134 hospitals were under the management of MoHS in 2016. The finding revealed that 13 out of 15 States and Regions were below the WHO recommended minimum number of 1 per 1,000 population for medical doctor. The distribution of medical doctors per 1,000 population in the public sector showed a gradually decreasing trend since 2006. Urban and rural medical doctor ratios observed wide disparities. Interpretation The HRH shortage occurred in almost all State and Regions of Myanmar, including major cities. Wide disparities of HRH were found in urban and rural areas. The Myanmar government needs to consider the proper cost-effective HRH supply-chain management systems and retention strategies. The projection of health workforce, distribution of workforce by equity, effective management, and health information systems should be strengthened.

Increasing trends in admissions due to non-communicable diseases over 2012 to 2017: findings from three large cities in Myanmar

“…The major reason for late diagnosis and treatment in Myanmar was the lack of trained health staff for managing NCDs at primary health facilities [24]. Overall there is a shortage of doctors with Myanmar's human resources for health in 2017 reporting that 13 out of 15 states and regions were below the WHO recommended minimum number of 1 per 1000 population for medical doctor [25]. Also, a study assessing the implementation of NCD care at primary health facilities of Myanmar reported a lack of infrastructure and drugs for managing NCD patients at primary health facilities [24].…”

“…The piloted "WHO Package of Essential Noncommunicable Disease Interventions (WHO PEN)" for primary care has to be universalized throughout the country. The trained health workforce has to be increased as the country has 1.3 health workers per 1000 population, compared with WHO's recommended threshold of 4.45 per 1000 population required for Universal Health Coverage [25]. The primary health centers need to be strengthened and community health workers have to be trained to identify, diagnose, and treat common NCDs in the community.…”

Impact of Health Human Resources on the Output Efficiency of Residents’ Health Status in China

“…Although many researchers have indicated that HRH availability has improved in some countries, out-of-balance, insufficient, and limited HRH availability persists in many other countries. Therefore, many countries still need to develop a long-term HRH plan [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] . Narasimhan (2004) [9] claimed that the quantity and distribution of HRH directly influence the quality of medical services and the long-term development of the medical system.…”

Experiences of Workplace Violence Among Healthcare Providers in Myanmar: A Cross-sectional Survey Study

“…These experiences have been shown to decrease worker morale and productivity, which can lead to increased absenteeism, burnout, and attrition [2][3][4]. WPV and its effect on health workers place more strain on an already challenged human resource sphere in Myanmar [5]. The prevalence of WPV against healthcare groups around the world has been previously studied, revealing a wide range of reported experiences [6,7].…”