More than 8,000 healthcare workers at various healthcare facilities in India have already been tested positive for Covid, increasing the tally every day.
This data is enough to bring chills down our spines! What will follow is a solution of how we can deal with this with the resources at our disposal.
Read-Along!
The healthcare industry is India’s largest and fastest-growing sector in terms of revenue and employment. On the one hand, the sector outpaces all other sectors by a margin, but on the other hand, the workforce challenges continue to cripple our existing system.
The Covid-19 pandemic has put more burden on the healthcare industry as a whole, with institutions facing a severe workforce crisis globally.
The National Health Workforce Account (NHWA) estimates that India has 5.7 million health workers, whereas a study conducted by the WHO and the Public Health Foundation of India revealed that over two million healthcare workers are missing from India’s healthcare system.
After Delta, another Covid-19 variant, ‘Omicron,’ has taken over the world amid rising staff shortages. The shortage of staff in hospitals is a serious concern as workforce strength leads to efficient management and patient care.
The current wave driven by the new Covid-19 variant ‘Omicron’ is posing challenges to the healthcare industry panicking and shaking the foundation of hospitals as they witness a surge in the number of patients. This is indeed a scary situation. Healthcare staff shortages can bring down the healthcare system of the country, hence it needs to be addressed on priority.
How To Overcome Staff Shortages
Utilise Locums To Reduce Staffing Gaps
Healthcare institutions often have to face staff shortages, and locums help fill immediate staffing requirements while giving them sufficient time to work on other strategies and goals.
With the increasing staff shortage in hospitals, creating locum positions instead of full-time can help address the issues of healthcare staffing shortages. In addition, hiring locums can ease the mental and physical stress from the already existing staff.
See how hiring locums can help healthcare institutions be future-ready and effectively deal with any emergency here.
Reducing Unnecessary Services
The foundation of any healthcare facility is its services. But, unfortunately, during a health crisis, hospitals face an unimaginable patient load. And, hence, to avoid burnout and distress among the healthcare workers, it is beneficial to shun less important or unnecessary services in times of an emergency like Covid-19.
Rewarding Healthcare Workforce
Healthcare workers are always at the forefront of a battle, and they take up the well-being of others over their own. Hence, it is equally important to recognize and reward healthcare workers for their services and sacrifices. In times like this, incentives could play a vital role in keeping the existing employees from leaving the hospital.
Embrace Technology
In the healthcare industry, patient care is of utmost importance. And, technology has paved the way for healthcare institutions to effectively deal with the increasing patient load while handling the many aspects of administrative work.
For example, telehealth is not just a revolutionary technology that is helping patients receive medical care at the comfort of home but has become a way of life. Specialists can utilize digital health apps or channels to remotely monitor their patients, leaving less room for in-person care.
Widen Recruitment Pool
Several healthcare facilities have turned to retired nurses and other staff to rejoin the team to fill the staffing gap. As numerous healthcare institutions continue to suffer due to workforce shortages, broadening the hiring base can assist facilities to maximise their efforts in order to deal with existing challenges.
Assistance From Healthcare Recruiters/Staffing Agency
The healthcare industry is fast-paced and needs to be extremely organized. Healthcare institutions are often busy with the patient load, and sometimes investing time in finding the right professional may seem an uphill task.
Hence, healthcare recruiters provide staff shortage solutions that can help hospitals find the right talent at any given time. Healthcare staffing agencies have an extensive network and tools available to help access top talents.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the lives of millions of people worldwide and has exposed the shortcomings in the healthcare system.
The acute staff shortage in the healthcare sector is a serious concern that needs to be properly addressed with a concrete solution. And, taking such crucial measures can minimize the workforce shortage challenges.
Conclusion
As India witnesses yet another wave and hospitals face crisis due to lack of verified professionals to deal with the increasing patient load, Jobizo can help transform the existing scenario and provide the much-needed support.
Jobizo is India’s first digitized healthcare recruitment platform which assists healthcare institutions to find and hire locums in a click. Jobizo strengthens the healthcare recruitment ecosystem by empowering employers and professionals.
Time to say goodbye to all your recruitment worries as Jobizo steps in to provide you with a hassle-free solution. Register on our web app, and hire locums without any stress.