Victoria, Seychelles, 25th May 2017 - A group of 30 Managers from different cadres within the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Seychelles have been oriented on the Workload Indicator for Staffing Needs (WISN) methodology developed by the WHO, during a five day workshop at the MoH Headquarters. Three WHO Consultants under the leadership of Dr Magdalene Awases from the Regional Office’s Inter-Support Team facilitated the workshop.

The WHO Liaison Officer for Seychelles, Dr Bhupinder Aulakh addressing the participants at the start of the workshop stated that human resource for health is one of the major pillar of health systems and its rational distribution and optimal utilization is critical for delivery of quality health services. She urged the participants to learn the application of WISN and to use it while making decisions regarding staffing requirements. The Principal Secretary for Health, Dr. Bernard Valentin asked the health managers to use the knowledge they will receive to make good systematic staffing decision in line with the limited human resources available. 

In the presence of other senior management of the MoH of Health, Dr Awases provided an overview of WISN. She indicated that globally human resource continues to remain a challenge with inadequate resources to respond to service demand and there is, therefore, the need for health managers to use appropriate methods to make staffing decisions in health facilities.

WISN, a facility based method uses a health worker’s workload and activity standards to determine staff requirements in a facility. It has proven to effectively determine how many health workers of a particular type are required to cope with the workload of a given health facility. Over the five days, WHO facilitators trained the managers in both the manual calculations of the WISN method as well as using the WISN software to determine staffing requirement. The participants described the session as very informative, interactive and useful.

“The WISN training was very informative, the skills learnt will be very useful in assessing the minimum number of staff my unit would require on different shifts in order to provide quality services. The facilitators highlighted aspects which I had previously been overlooking such as time required to perform a specific test and how this can greatly affect staffing requirement. WISN is going to be helpful in making better use of available staff as well provide evidence of under or over staffing.” Francoise Ah-mane, Laboratory technologist, Clinical Lab

An implementation plan has been drawn up for the effective rolling out of the WISN throughout the country in the next few years, as the country gathers the required data. A Steering Committee under the leadership of the MoH will be established to facilitate the process, keeping it in line with other assessments and activities being undertaken by the Ministry. WHO will continue to provide technical support to move this process forward.

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For more information, please contact :

Doreen Hotive (Mrs), NPO/HIP Officer, Tel: (248) 4224795, Email: hotived [at] who.int
Below:

01. Principal Secretary for Health, Dr Bernard Valentin officially launching the one week workshop

02. WHO Consultant Dr Adam Ahmat leading discussion