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IX.
HEALTH MANPOWER
A.
Introduction
There are various levels of medical practitioners based on function and
responsibilities involving both the medical and nursing cadres.
Primary
medical care is usually rendered by the health assistant whose training
varies from minimal instruction and continuing education given
practitioner to a more formal
duration.
course,
a mid level
often of approximate]
six months
Approximately 55 health assistants have been trained
for duty in
the Marshalls.
The
largest
problem at
present
in terms of manpower fis the high
attrition due to retirement and lack of a recruitment system| to encourage
young people to enter the system.
Incentives to enter the hea Ith system are
very low compared to other types of government service.
Withih a few years
severe shortages of all types of health manpower are to be expergienced unless
something is done soon.
In developing medical manpower programs it is important tbh establish a
scheme of service to enable every qualified person to advance] according to
his
ability,
interest
and
effort.
All
training
procedures, work assignments, salary scales, etc.
scheme of service or career ladder.
progranp,
licensing
should reflect such
After appropriate periods
service and
work recommendations, selected health assistants could advande
assistants and from there potentially to medical officers.
a
to medical
LikBwise nursing
assistants should be able to advance to practical nurses and
from there to
graduate nurses and on to become bachelor or master degree ng@rses many of
whom
would
become
specialists
in
specific
nursing
arg@as
administration, education, public health, midwifery, critical
In
general
there
are
sufficient
educational
such
as
fare, etc.
institutfons
for
the
various health manpower needs in the South Pacific areas such that it should
not be necessary to establish any new schools for manpower training programs.
B.
Administrative
The
administrative
employees will
current
understand the
problems
supervisors.
structure
is
that
of
must
line
be
clearly
defined
and staff organization.
insufficient
authority
of]
[so
that
al]
One of the
Marshallese
Many of the nursing personnel report sick orf are
late in
returning from vacation, sometimes even months late, yet continue to receive
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