TECHNOLOGIST SECTION

CAREER AND SERVICE STRUCTURE OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCE IN PAKISTAN, A PERSPECTIVE IN QUESTION
Amin Rajani, Muhammad Habib Khan
De part m e ntofRadiol ogy, Aga K h an Univ e rs it y H os pit al , K arach i, Pak is t an.
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Al l ie d H e al t h prof e s s ional s are inv ol v e d w it h t h e de l iv e ry ofh e al t h or re l at e d s e rv ice s pe rt aining t ot h e ide nt if icat ion, ev al uat ion and pre v e nt ion ofdis e as e s and dis orde rs ;die t ary and nut rit ion s e rv ice s ;re h abil it at ion and h e al t h s ys t ems m anage m e nt , ot h e rs t af fs uch as s urgical t e ch nicians , e m e rge ncy m e dical s e rv ice pe rs onne l , ph l e bot om is t s , and radiol ogy t e ch nicians are al l cat e goriz e d in t h e al l ie d h e al t h prof e s s ion. Dontbe s urpris e d t o k now t h atph ys icians and nurs e s al s o are al l ie d h e al t h prof e s s ional s butt h e y cons t it ut e onl y a s m al l port ion oft h e h e al t h care prof e s s ional s m ak ing a dif f e re nce in our com m unit ie s . Al l ie d h e al t h w ork e rs are aut onom ous prof e s s ional s butt h e y are al s o partofa h igh l y s k il l e d m ul t i-dis cipl inary t e am . Th e y al l ne e d t e ch nical s k il l and acade m ic abil it y. Th e y m us tbe h appy w ork ing w it h com pl e x e q uipm e ntand t h ey h av e t o k e e p up-t o-dat e w it h f as t -m ov ing de v el opm e nt s . Th e ir t raining prov ide s t h e m ne ce s s ary cl inical and t e ch nical e xpe rt is e . Th e y h ow e v e r s h oul d be good at com m unicat ion and abl e t o of f e r s upport and e ncourage m e nt w h il e, w ork ing cl os e l y w it h pat ie nt s w h o m ay be anxious and dis t re s s e d, part icul arl y in t h e rape ut ic proce dure s . Unf ort unat el yt h e curre ntcul t ure in t h e h e al t h care s e tup and as a nat ion on t h e w h ol e , apartf rom ph ys icians t he onl y ot h e r prof e s s ion w h o gaine d acce pt ance is nurs ing w h e re as t h e re s tofal l are ye ts t riv ing t o be re cogniz e d and puz z l e d w it h t h e q ue s t ions ;w h o are w e ? W h atis our ide nt it y?Doe s t h e nat ion w e be l ong t o, re cogniz e s us ? V al ue s us ?W h e n w il l ch ange com e ?I f eel t h e w h ol e pe rs pe ct iv e of al l ie d h e al t h prof e s s ional s is in q ue s t ion L ook ing att h e s e rv ice and care e r s t ruct ure atv arious ins t it ut ions one can h igh l igh t t h e m aj or are as of conce rns as Non q ual if ie d prof e s s ional s are pract icing L im it edT raining I ns t it ut es Non unif orm St ruct ure d T raining Program No Em ph as is on Prof e s s ional De v el opm e nt Care e r Grow t h? Af f il iat ion w it h L ocal , Nat ional or Fore ign I ns t it ut ion Accre dit at ion oft h e s e Prof e s s ions at o Nat ional o I nt e rnat ional We f eel t h att h e re is m uch t o be done t o e nh ance t h e care e r and s e rv ice s t ruct ure ofal l ie d h e al t h prof e s s ional s.

Care e r St ruct ure

1. 2. 3. 4. T raining and Educat ion re q uire m e nt s Re s ource s and Source s Curre ntand f ut ure pros pe ct s On going e ducat ional de v el opm e ntprogram s

Corre s ponde nce : Mr . Am in Raj ani De part m e ntofRadiol ogy, Aga K h an Univ e rs it y H os pit al , St adium Road, P .O Box 3500, K arach i, 74800 Pak is t an. T el . No. 49 30051- Ext2020 E-m ail : raj ani.am in@ ak u.e du

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5. F acul t ie s in univ e rs it ie s 6. On j ob Training program s 7. De dicat e d Curricul um

Se rvice St ruct ure

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Probl e m s re l at ing t o re cruit m e ntand re t e nt ion. M anage m e nts t ruct ure and de v el opm e nt . De v el opm e ntpl ans f or de l iv e ry ofs e rv ice s . To prov ide an agre e d s t ruct ure t o e ns ure an opt im um input in pol icy m ak ing f or al l re l ev ant part ie s . I nt e ract ion w it h ot h e r dis cipl ine s .

Sm al l ef f ortw as done t o do t h e SW OT anal ys is ofcurre nts ce nario conce rning m aj orl y on Re cruit m e nt , Re t e nt ion and Prof e s s ional De v el opm e nt RECRUI TM ENT STRENGTH S 1. Fe w ins t it ut ion h av e com pe t it iv e e dge 2. St ruct ure d on j ob t raining program 3. I nf ras t ruct ure 4. Env ironm e nt 5.Prof e s s ional grow t h and groom ing RECRUI TM ENT W EAKNESSES 1. Space cons t raintf or m anage m e nts t af f 2. Non av ail abil it y ofq ual if ie d t raine rs 3. St ipe nds l ow 4. L ow f ringe be ne f it s (pare nt s m e dical ) 5. No v is ual iz at ion on e xpans ion t o h ire m ore t raine e s 6. V acancy f act or RECRUI TM ENT TH REATS 1. No de f ine d proce s s ofupdat ing s t af fon ne w t e ch nol ogie s 2. Com pe t it iv e pre s s ure 3. O v e rs e as m igrat ion 4. Aga K h an Univ e rs it y H os pit al act s as a l aunch ing pad 5. I ncons is t e ncy in re s pe ctofcl inical and non cl inical st af f

RECRUI TM ENT OPPORTUNI TI ES 1. Fut ure ut il iz at ion 2. I nt e rnal l yt raine d pe rs onne l

RETENTI O N STRENGTH S 1. Saf e & h e al t h y w ork ing e nv ironm e nt/ inf ras t ruct ure 2. Pos tre t ire m e ntm e dical f acil it y 3. Good f ringe be ne f it s 4. No dow n s iz ing 5. Com pre h e ns iv e care e r pat h.

RETENTI O N W EAKNESSES 1. No ins t it ut ional unif orm it y in dis burs ing ince nt iv e 2. Annual incre m e ntt oo l e ss 3. No de f ine d prom ot ional grow t h 4. M e dical re im burs e m e ntnotin l ine w it h inf l at ion 5. No s ucce s s ion pl anning 6. No s h if tal l ow ance 7. Caus al l e av e (Grade 9 and abov e ) note nt it l ed 8. No prof e s s ional al l ow ance f or non-cl inical st af f 9 . Ov e r w ork e d and s t re s s f ul

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RETENTI O N O PPORTUNI TI ES 1. Grow ing opport unit ie s f or s t af fh av ing m ore pot e nt ial s 2. I ns t it ut e ofdis t ance l e arning program f or onw ard de v el opm e nt 3. L aunch dipl om a /de gre e program in Al l ie d H e al t h De part m e nt RETENTI O N TH REATS 1. H igh t urnov er 2. St rictpol icie s (no ov e rt im e f or grade 9 & abov e ) 3. Sal ary s t ruct ure nots e gre gat e d be t w e e n q ual if ie d and non q ual if ie d s t af f(in s am e grade ) 4. O n j ob t raining program notaccre dit ed 5. Care e r grow t h t oo h az y 6. 10% incre m e nton prom ot ions notat t ract iv e

Prof e s s ional De v el opm e nt STRENGTH S 1. O n going prof e s s ional de v el opm e nt (m ul t idim e ns ional ).

Prof e s s ional De v el opm e ntW EAKNESSES 1. Non cre de nt ial edst af f 2. No s ys t e m ofl ice ns ing 3. No f orm al t raining program Prof e s s ional De v el opm e nt TH REATS 1. No s t ruct ure d prof e s s ionalde v el opm e ntprogre s s

Prof e s s ional De v el opm e nt OPPO RTUNI TI ES 1. Dis t ance l e arning program

Re com m e ndat ions

Training: T raining I ns t it ut ion Ext e ns ion ofEducat ional Re s ource s Ce rt if icat ion Ce rt if icat e t o Dipl om a and t o De gre e s t at us . Prov is ion ofPos t graduat e T raining. Af f il iat ion O JT Program o Curricul um o T ut ors o Ce rt if icat ion o Af f il iat ion Re cruit m e nt : Ch ange s t oel im inat e s om e dis ince nt iv e s e nt e ring t h e prof e s s ion. Re cruitAl l ie d H e al t h Prof e s s ional s F acul t y (AH P) Enh ance and cons ol idat e M anpow e r and T raining program Proce s s ofinv it ing v is it ing F acul t y Com pre h e ns iv e ins t it ut ional guide l ine s f or o Com pe ns at ion o Re m une rat ion o T raining ofal l AH Ps .
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Re t e nt ion: H um an Re s ource de part m e nts h oul d pl ay a pro-act iv e approach . I nt e re s tf re e l oan Unif orm e m pl oym e ntpack age pol icy f or AH P and Cl inical F acul t y. Enabl ing Env ironm e nt Se ns e ofow ne rs h ip Prof e s s ional De v el opm e nt : Prof e s s ional Groom ing ofs t af ft h rough e xis t ing f acul t y & AH P De s ign Care e r De v el opm e nton com pe t e ncy bas is . Enh ance T raining and M anpow e r budge tas a com pone ntoft h e annual budge t . De v el op s ub s pe cial t y in Al l ie d H e al t h De v el op s ucce s s ion pl anning M os tI m port ant : I tis re cogniz e d t h att h e re is a ne e d f or ch ange t ot ak e pl ace w h ich w il l h av e cons e q ue nce s f or t he f ut ure de l iv e ry of h e al t h care w it h part icul ar im pact on t h e al l ie d h e al t h s cie nce s e rvice , s uch as t h e de v el opm e nt of 1. Nat ional st andards 2. De m and prot ocol s 3. Nat ional l e gis l at ion 4. Accre dit at ion 5. St at e re gis t rat ion 6. Part ne rs h ip, e t c. Sugge s t ions : I ndiv idual council or as s ociat ion w h ich s h oul d be re gis t e re d Accre dit at ion Aut h orit y. As s ociat ions byl aw s and re gul at ions As s ociat ions Af f il iat ion w it h I nt e rnat ional Body L ice ns e As s ociat ion m us th ol d re gul ar m e e t ings /f orum s / s e m inars /w ork s h ops /t raining cours e s e t c

Concl us ion
I n concl us ion w e w oul d s ay t h atal l ie d h e al t h s cie nce prof e s s ional s m us tw ork in co-ope rat ion w it h e ach ot h e rt o cont inue t h e de v el opm e nt of a progre s s iv e and m ode rn h e al t h care s e rv ice w h ich de l iv e rs t h e be s t pos s ibl e pat ie ntcare .

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