Abstract
Thailand has experience of health care reform for a decade. Therefore health care services require more new health workers with more capabilities and competencies according to the changes in the system. Praboromarajchanok Institute for Health Workforce Development (PIHWD) is a government organization and responsible for production and development of health workforce to serve the needs of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). This qualitative research was designed to study health workforce needs, the desirable competencies of the graduates and distribution of health workforce who graduated from Sirindhorn College of Public Health under PIHWD, MoPH including Bachelor degree in Community Public Health, Community Dental Public Health and a high class certificate of Pharmacy Technician. Data were collected by in-depth interviews and focus groups discussion between June and October 2558. The purposive sampling was applied and 8 provincials were determined by using geographic information system (GIS) distribution of health workforce. The samples consisted of executive’s administrator from Ministry of Public Health, PIHWD and Provincial, District and Sub-district of Public Health Offices. They were also chiefs of Local Authority, supervisors and co-workers of the graduates and local people. Content analysis was applied using transcriptions from audio recordings and memory information. Data summary were then classified and interpreted for research conclusion. The study showed that most executives have commented that three professionals’ health workers are still shortage consideration by using GIS and the hourly rate equivalent employees (FTE). The distribution of health workforce of these programs is disproportion mainly in the central region where is densely than in the Northeast. In addition, the retention rate in position was decreased because of the lack of motivation at work. Producing health workforce of the 3 programs should come from Sirindhorn College of Public Health under PIHWD because of the expertise of the staffs and they provide specific training programs that serve community needs, especially bachelor of community dental public health and a high class certificate of pharmacy technician. These are the only programs that have been produced in Thailand. The desirable performances of the health workers are not only
their specific health professionals. They should have a new set of the 2 1 st century
skills including learning, literacy and life skill such as abilities of leadership,
Knowledge Management, conducting research, plan strategic, information technology
and necessary languages. The results indicated that the production of health
workforce is still the needs in order to serve the changes of health care system.
Stake holders who are involved should consider various factors that come into effect
on the production of health workforce. Thus, a mechanism for driving the
development of research on the health professionals from three programs should
continue and systematic develop in order to force the policy into practice, literally.
