Ten years development of human resources in Serbian health system.

A key component of any healthcare reform process is to ensure that the services are delivered by the right numbers of staff with appropriate skills and training. In 2007, public health institutions in Serbia had 2% more employees than before the economic transition. Nevertheless, the trend of the total number of employees in the Serbian health care system still preserved a mild rising trend. The most prominent changes in the structure of human resources were effectuated in the total numbers of physicians, nurses and administrative and technical staff. Development of medical science and practice in Serbia is characterized by more intensive processes of specializations, resulting in increased number of specialists among medical doctors. Health care provided in in-patient institutions still employs most of the doctors. The number of unemployed physicians, dentists and pharmacists has been rising since 2000. Another aspect that explains the rise of unemployed, university educated human resources is the rising number of graduated physicians, dentist and pharmacists. Health care policy makers may recognize the need for more integrated planning of human resources in health care, in particular, making management of human resources responsive to system needs and design, instead of vice versa.

Job satisfaction among health care workers in Serbia.

According to literature review there seems to be a general agreement that job satisfaction among doctors is declining. This study's objective was to identify job satisfaction levels and their causes among health care workers, employed at the public health institutions. A job satisfaction survey of health care workers was therefore carried out in 197 public health centers in the Republic of Serbia, 157 primary health care centers and 40 general hospitals, in 2008. A satisfaction questionnaire, containing 24 items was used to investigate job satisfaction. Respondents (23.259), working in primary health care, indicated an average job satisfaction level of 3.08 +/- 0.67 on a 5-point scale. Respondents (11.302), working in general hospitals, indicated a lower average job satisfaction level of 2.96 +/- 0.63. The reported level of satisfaction was the highest for their opportunities to use their abilities, cooperation with colleagues and fellow workers, and freedom to choose their own methods of work. Doctors, working in primary health care centers, reported higher level of job satisfaction than hospital doctors. Overall, job satisfaction of doctors and nurses is relatively low. Increased pay rate and more adequate equipment, as well as possibilities for education and career improvement, would enhance their job satisfaction.

Health care managers as a crucial component of health care workforce in Serbia.

The aim of the paper was to describe and analyse health services management in Serbia, commencing with present status and projecting, as accurately as possible, future changes over the next years, skills and required competencies of the health management workforce. The study was done as a part of Ministry of Health/EU funded Project "Preparation for Health Management Training Programme in Serbia" by a desk review of current and draft legislation, related projects in the health sector and relevant local and international literature; semi-structured interviews with key local and international stakeholders and a structural analysis of the health management sector. The results of the study have shown that there was a big gap in knowledge and skills regarding Health Management in Serbia and a true need for such type of education.