About The Book

This book’s strategic thrust is aimed at the macro picture of workforce management, placing a sharp focus on the health professional workforce and the attempts that South Africa has made to address the problem of migration of health professionals which the public health sector experienced post-1994. It builds on numerous policy attempts that were aimed at ensuring that the health system achieves a state of adequacy in terms of the supply of appropriately trained and appropriately managed health professionals. This group of individuals is of great assistance in conceptualising, planning and bringing quality health care to citizens. This is the function of both the public and private health sector leadership, health policy developers, health science educators and trainers, health facility managers and individual health practitioners, not only political office-bearers.
In addressing the essence of the strategic management of the professional health workforce, this book delves, in a historical sense, into the conceptualising, development and implementation of the policy on the remuneration of health professionals employed in the public health service popularly known as OSD (Occupation Specific Dispensation). Central to the discussions are two factors that are critical to the provision of health services – values and performance. Narration about the OSD policy is formulated around these two main factors. The book advances these as the major drivers of quality in the health services. The quality of South African health sciences training is thus far undisputed. The focus thus shifts to aspects that are external to the lecture room.
This approach is designed to stimulate reflection and provoke debate on issues that are still pending and do not necessarily enjoy popular debate within the professions and health management. It is hoped that this contribution will be of significance and assistance to those who hope and plan to play a leadership role of one kind or another, either at policy, management or profession level.
Strategic management of the health workforce and, in particular, the professionals, is of critical importance to health systems on the African continent. This contribution can hopefully be utilised in a broader discourse about the sustainability of health systems on our continent.

Available on Amazon Online bookstore and as an eBook on Kindle.