Is Promotion a Vital Issue to Retain the Health Professional? View From the Resigned Health Professionals AtMankwengAcademic Hospital, Limpopo, South Africa

  ABSTRACT:Enough health professionals are essential to deliver optimum health care service to the patients in the health institution. Shortages of health professional have serious effect on the organisation and reduce the capacities to provide necessary services in the health-care sector. Main objective of the study is to view the valuable suggestions advocated by the resigned health professionals of Mankweng Academic Hospital for retaining the staff.The study was an observational retrospective descriptive quantitative design associated with all health professionals, who quitted from MankwengAcademic Hospital from January 2018 to December 2022.A total of 139 health professionals resigned.These included medical practitioner,professional nurse, pharmacist, physiotherapists, radiographers, occupational therapists, psychologists.Reason of resignation: Promotion 28%, lack of prospect advancement 17% and relocation to other areas 17% are some of the main reasons for resignation.Suggestions to retain: Increase the number of staff 30%, support the employee 11%,respect the employee 6% and 4% indicated for promotion to retain the staff.Almost 30% of all resigned health professions emphasised to increase the number of staff and only 4% advocated for promotion to retain the health professionals. Increasing the number of health professionals is crucial at present in Mankweng Academic Hospital.

KEY WORDS:Health professional, resignation, retention