Investing in health workers: a retrospective cost analysis of a cohort of return-of-service bursary recipients in Southern Africa.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Return-of-service (RoS) schemes are investment strategies that governments use to increase the pool of health professionals through the issuing of bursaries and scholarships to health sciences students in return for service after graduation. Despite using these schemes for many years, Eswatini, South Africa, Botswana and Lesotho have not assessed the costs and return on investment of these schemes. This study aimed to assess the costs and relative rates of contract defaulting in these four Southern African countries.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was carried out by reviewing databases of RoS beneficiaries for selected health sciences programmes who were funded between 2000 and 2010. Costs of the schemes were assessed by country, degree type and whether burs

SUBMITTER: Mabunda SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11459328 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature