Revista de práctica general

Which Motivational Factors are of More Relevance to the Rural Health Worker? Evidence from a Ghanaian District Hospital

Abstract

Emmanuel Kumah

Introduction: Motivation of health professionals is one of the key ways to ensuring efficient provision of health services. Improving the motivation of health workers in rural and remote areas is of greatest concern to all countries worldwide. Even though factors influencing health worker motivation are well established in the literature, little is known about the motivational factors that are of relevance to different categories of rural health workers in developing countries.

Objectives: Employing questionnaire survey, we studied 252 health employees of a rural healthcare organization in Northern Ghana to understand the motivational factors that are considered most important by rural health workers, and to determine if these factors are valued differently by different cadres of health professionals.

Results: Our findings showed financial rewards as the number one motivator; followed by promotion, growth and development; job security; acknowledgement, praise and recognition; and working environment in that order. Different cadres of the rural health professionals valued the motivational factors differently: doctors were motivated by their working environment; nurses by promotion, growth and development; pharmacists and pharmacy technicians by praise, acknowledgement and recognition; and support staff and laboratory technicians by financial rewards.

Conclusion: Motivational factors should be applied to different cadres of rural health workers differently.