title: What rural doctors want: a qualitative study in Chhattisgarh state.
abstract: The importance of addressing concerns of rural health worker welfare in order to improve their performance and retention is widely acknowledged; yet there is little empirical research on the needs of rural health professionals. We report findings from a qualitative research study in rural Chhattisgarh, involving indepth interviews with 37 practitioners and data analysis using the "framework" approach. Participants' expressions of their needs encompassed a range of reforms and improvements, including better salaries and job security, more rational posting and promotion procedures, and facility improvements. Opportunities for need-based skills training and better housing also emerged as key needs, as did better schools, assurance of personal security, and recognition and appreciation of their services by the administration. Increased investment in rural infrastructure and training, graded packages of benefits for rural doctors, and governance reforms to improve the internal accountability of government health services emerge as recommendations from the study.
authors.affiliation: Senior Research Scientist, Public Health Foundation of India Delhi NCR, Plot No. 47, Sector 44, Institutional Area, Gurgaon 122 002, India,. kabir.sheikh@phfi.org.
authors.forename: Kabir
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sheikh
authors.affiliation: Research Associate, Public Health Foundation of India Delhi NCR, Plot No. 47, Sector 44, Institutional Area, Gurgaon 122 002, India,. shinjini.mondal@phfi.org.
authors.forename: Shinjini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mondal
authors.affiliation: Independent consultant, Indian Institute of Public Health, Delhi, Plot No. 47, Sector 44, Institutional Area Gurgaon - 122 002, India.
authors.forename: Pratibha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Patanwar
authors.affiliation: Former Senior Lecturer, School of Health Systems Studies; Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Purav Marg, Deonar, Mumbai 400 088, India,. babitark@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Babita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rajkumari
authors.affiliation: Professor and Dean, School of Health System Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Purav Marg, Deonar, Mumbai 400 088, India,. t.sundararaman@tiss.edu.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sundararaman
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006268:Health Facilities; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D010559:Personnel Management / Q000592:standards; D010820:Physicians; D017150:Public Sector; D036301:Qualitative Research; D058996:Quality Improvement; D019035:Rural Health Services; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits; D000078329:Workforce