Retention of a Community Healthcare Worker for Three Decades in a Rural and Remote CHC of Bolba in Jharkhand: A Case Study

Abstract

The dearth of healthcare personnel in rural areas is a global problem. Even developed countries are struggling to meet demand. In such circumstances, identifying a health worker who worked for a single CHC for three decades necessitates deeper exploration. Individual case studies were employed to investigate the phenomenon, then thematically evaluated using QAD Miner Lite following a lengthy telephonic interview. The study's findings revealed that a rural upbringing, social class, economic factors, and behaviorism influenced the altruism of Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs). As a result, external and internal factors influenced CHW to service rural areas. But extrinsic factors worked in tandem with intrinsic factors to influence CHW's willingness to serve the rural areas. Rural healthcare shortages exist despite the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) execution. A substantial amount of the population's health is entrusted to 20 percent of health workers, who account for disproportionately 75.05 percent of rural health outcomes.