Needs 25,000 Healthcare Management Professionals

Health sector reforms, the provisions made in the Draft National Health Policy and the need to address the necessity of healthcare services across the State of Rajasthan, the  government has taken steps to bring in improvisations in the healthcare segment through trainings, investment partnerships etc. Apart from the Governemnt, who has contributed tremendously in the health sector reforms, one such institution under the name Indian Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR) University, Jaipur, has also contributed to improve managerial competence amongst the district and block level officers through their Professional Development Courses (PDC) and other training programmes under the name Management Development Programmes (MDP). With the moto to train the district and block level medical officers working with the Government of Rajasthan, IIHMR University has begun its,17^th Professional Development Course (PDC) in Management, Public Health and Health Sector Reforms which will last from 12^th October, 2015 to 20^th December, 2015.

The State of Rajasthan faces a skill gap of 25,000 healthcare management professionals till date and needs over 600 more Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) and 200 more Community Health Centers (CHCs). As according to the India Skills Report 2015, the percentage hiring in the of management graduates in Pharma & Healthcare for the year 2015 has been 7.32% vis-à-vis 5.25% in 2014 and that of Diploma Candidates in the same segment has been 25.2% in 2015 vis-à-vis 25.8% in 2014 all over India. Also, the NSDC or the National Skill Development Corporation has trained about 11,286 professionals in healthcare. Inspite of all the efforts made, there is still a gap of 25,000 healthcare management professionals in the state. Knowing all these aspects there is a dire necessity of training district and block level medical officers in public health in Management and Healthcare reforms. To reduce the skill gap and to provide managerial competence to all the district and block level officers, IIHMR University has been conducting their Professional Development Courses year on year.

The PDCs at IIHMR University are designed with the objective of  enlightening its participants about emerging concepts of health sector reforms and gain a better understanding on planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating health programmes in the state. The PDCs also help in enhancing skills and competencies to prepare and implement District/City plans under the National Health Mission (NHM). The PDCs are based on experimental learnings and participatory approach alongwith organised field visits of participants to other States to learn from various innovations in the healthcare delivery with successful pilots to improve health outcomes.  

 IIHMR University is the only WHO Collaborating Centre for District and Primary Healthcare in the State of Rajasthan and has trained over 300 medical officers. The 17^th PDC concluding will see and additional 30 number of medical officers from the district and block level in Public Health being trained