Balancing the cost of leaving with the cost of living: drivers of long-term retention of health workers: an explorative study in three rural districts in Eastern Uganda

摘要

Background: Health worker retention in rural and underserved areas remains a persisting problem in many low and middle income countries, and this directly affects the quality of health services offered.Objective: This paper explores the drivers of long-term retention and describes health worker coping mechanisms in rural Uganda.Methods: A descriptive qualitative study explored the factors that motivated health workers to stay, in three rural districts of Uganda: Kamuli, Pallisa, and Kibuku. In-depth interviews conducted among health workers who have been retained for at least 10?years explored factors motivating the health workers to stay within the district, opportunities, and the benefits of staying.Results: Twenty-one health workers participated. Ten of them male and 11 female with the age range of 33–51?years. The mean duration of stay among the participants was 13, 15, and 26?years for Kamuli, Kibuku, and Pallisa respectively. Long-term retention was related to personal factors, such as havin...