The Essence of Communication in Enhancing Workers’ Performance in Public Hospitals. (a Case Study of General Hospital, Ogun State)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

 Background of the study

Health is one of the most essential services given by the government in every nation across the globe, since it is an undeniable and necessary sector in any economy. Health accounts for a substantial part of national wealth in both rich and developing countries. According to the World Health Reports (2016), Nigerian government health spending as a proportion of GDP was 3.3 percent, 3.7 percent, and 3.7 percent in 2012, 2013, and 2014. This aims to demonstrate that Nigerian government health-care spending is substantial not just in absolute terms, but also in relation to the country’s Gross Domestic Product. According to international norms, developing-country health expenditures should be higher than developed-country spending. This is because, in poor nations like Nigeria, where there is a low degree of mechanization and automation, health takes on a new dimension in terms of economic consequences. The Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria (1998) said that people’s health not only contributed to a higher quality of life, but it was also necessary for the country’s long-term economic and social growth. As a result, health is considered as a valuable resource in the economic growth process. The health sector reform was motivated by the desire to expand access to health care in order to guarantee that Nigerians achieve a level of health that allows them to live a socially and economically productive life. Primary healthcare became the cornerstone of the country’s health system, with health duties shared across the three levels of government. According to the national administrative structure acquired from the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigerian health system is vertically organized into three tiers of primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, each under the jurisdiction of the local, state, and federal governments. However, this division of health duties comes with its own set of coordination issues. In consequence, the Nigerian health system’s organizational structure has had a major impact on management choices, funding, and incentive structure. In terms of medical inputs and service supply, this has changed the way healthcare institutions, hospitals, and health centers operate. Changes in the financial mechanisms of public hospitals, according to Chang (1998) and Rosko (1999), may raise financial pressures and signal the need for performance improvement.

Statement of research problem

Nigeria’s population is expected to reach around 180 million people by 2050, with an annual growth rate of 3.5 percent (National Population Commission, 2017). As a result of the nation’s vast and expanding population, it is clear that the need for healthcare is high and growing. Healthcare resources, on the other hand, are few. In 2015, the Nigerian health care system had a density of 1.95 nurses, midwives, and physicians per 1000 inhabitants, according to the World Health Organization Country Health Systems Facts Sheet (2016). The data suggests that the Nigerian public health system is inefficient. This is reflected by under-utilization or malfunctioning facilities, poor personnel and physical capacity utilization, and a lack of cost-cutting initiatives (Akin et al., 1987; World Bank, 1991). Furthermore, governments have limited means to fund the increasing demand for more and higher quality health care services as a result of tough economic circumstances. Problematic health conditions were formerly addressed by giving more resources. However, due to resource constraints in other industries, this strategy has proven economically unsustainable. Assuming that donor and development organizations can guarantee or enhance resource inflow to the health sector, there is a growing awareness that additional money alone will not address the resource issue (Akazili, Adjuik, Jehu-Appiah, and Zere, 2008). As a result, attaining and increasing efficiency in the functioning of important Nigerian health-care organizations has remained a major challenge. Because improved efficiency holds the lever for larger output and better quality services without spending additional financial and actual resources, this issue is of significant importance to all health sector participants: government, planners, management, donor agencies, and healthcare consumers. As a result, in order to combat resource limitations and waste in the system, it is critical that we concentrate our efforts on the issues of effective resource use. In reality, as a foundation for attaining universal healthcare coverage, efficiency in resource use should be the logical response to the condition of health resources in the system. It is clear that certain radical management changes are required, based on factual data about current performance of key institutions in the nation’s health system.

Objectives of the study

The primary objectives of the study includes the following:

1.     To find out the role of communication in public hospitals.

2.     To find out the impact of communication on job performance of general hospital workers.

3.     To find out the factors that impede effective communication in general  hospitals in Ogun state.

 Research Questions

1.     What are the roles of communication in public hospitals?

2.     What is the impact of communication on job performance of general hospital workers?

3.     What are the factors that impede effective communication in general  hospitals in Ogun state?

 Significance of the study

The significance of this study cannot be underestimated as:

l  This study will examine  The essence of communication in enhancing workers’ performance in public hospitals.

l  The findings of this research work will undoubtedly provide the much needed information to government organizations,  hospital management board, ministry health, and academia.

Scope of the study

This study examines the essence of communication in enhancing workers’ performance in public hospitals. Hence, this study will be delimited to general hospital in Sango Ota local government area. Ogun state.

Limitations of the study

This study was constrained by a number of factors which are as follows:

just like any other research, ranging from unavailability of needed accurate materials on the topic under study, inability to get data

Financial constraint , was faced by  the researcher ,in getting relevant materials  and  in printing and collation of questionnaires

Time factor: time factor pose another constraint since having to shuttle between writing of the research and also engaging in other academic work making it uneasy for the researcher

Operational definition of terms

Communication: the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium.

Workers performance: refers to how your workers behave in the workplace and how well they perform the job duties you’ve obligated to them.

Public hospital: a hospital which is government owned and is fully funded by the government and operates solely off the money that is collected from taxpayers to fund healthcare initiatives.