Ghost Doctors : Absenteeism in Bangladeshi Health Facilities
The authors report on a study in which unannounced visits were made to health clinics in Bangladesh with the intention of discovering what fraction of medical professionals were present at their assigned post. This survey represents the first attem...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Policy Research Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2014
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/05/2414872/ghost-doctors-absenteeism-bangladeshi-health-facilities http://hdl.handle.net/10986/18211 |
| Summary: | The authors report on a study in which
unannounced visits were made to health clinics in Bangladesh
with the intention of discovering what fraction of medical
professionals were present at their assigned post. This
survey represents the first attempt to quantify the extent
of the problem on a nationally representative scale.
Nationwide the average number of vacancies over all types of
providers in rural health centers is 26 percent. Regionally,
vacancy rates (unfilled posts) are generally higher in the
poorer parts of the country. Absentee rates at over 40
percent are particularly high for doctors. When separated
into level of facility, the absentee rate for doctors at the
larger clinics is 40 percent, but at the smaller sub-centers
with a single doctor, the rate is 74 percent. Even though
the primary purpose of this survey is to document the extent
of the problem among medical staff, the authors also explore
the determinants of staff absenteeism. Whether the medical
provider lives near the health facility, access to a road,
and rural electrification are important determinants of the
rate and pattern of staff absentee rates. |
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