A review on the contributions of NGOs in addressing the shortage of healthcare professionals in rural South Africa

Abstract

Background: Poor health outcomes are recorded in rural areas of South Africa (SA) despite extra spending on health sector. This is in contrast to other middle-income and developing countries that yield better healthcare outcomes. A number of socioeconomic barriers, amongst which is the shortage of healthcare professionals (HCPs), compromise the right to healthcare in rural areas of SA. This study was conducted to ascertain the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in addressing the shortage of HCPs in rural South Africa. Methods: A desktop review was conducted to obtain relevant papers for analysis. Of the 350 papers that were retrieved, only 32 studies met the inclusion criteria for this research and presented relevance for further analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify and analyze patterns that emerged from the data. Emerging themes included NGOs’ involvement in retention strategies for HCPs and their direct involvement in rural healthcare delivery. Results: Findings revealed that the NGO sector has access to numerous skilled human resources and capital that can provide useful insights for policy-makers to implement mechanisms to address the shortage of HCPs in rural South Africa. NGOs can assist in the handling of various minor responsibilities of HCPs. This can be achieved without having a detrimental effect on the quality of healthcare services while reducing the workload of the few HCPs in rural areas, thus allowing them time to focus on more specialized and complex problems. Conclusion: We conclude that NGOs have a crucial role to play in the training-placement and retention of HCPs and that their contributions can make a difference in the health sector if approved and recognised.

Keywords

• rural areas
• healthcare professionals
• non-governmental organizations