KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES ON MANAGERIAL ELEMENTS OF HEALTHCARE MANAGERS IN RULINDO DISTRICT, RWANDA
Josué Blaise Habimana - Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Mount Kenya University, Rwanda
Dr. Connie W. Mureithi - Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Mount Kenya University, Rwanda
ABSTRACT
Background: The healthcare industry is gradually becoming a knowledge-based community that is linked to health facilities, pharmacies, and customers for sharing knowledge, reducing administrative costs and improving quality of care. Rwanda’s health sector faces significant barriers of which the critical shortage of skilled healthcare managers. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge and practices on managerial elements of healthcare managers in Rulindo District, Rwanda. Methodology: It was a cross-sectional study using quantitative techniques, where the census targeted all the 111 Healthcare managers working in Rulindo District health facilities. A structured pre-test questionnaire aided in data collection. Data analysis utilized Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 17.0 and descriptive statistics. Input in SPSS included answers of respondents, number of respondents, frequencies, and percentages in different tables and figures. Results: This study found that healthcare managers (97.3%) set their performance objectives and performance appraisal. There was a high degree of cooperation between employees and the management (82%); awareness of training and development importance (75.7%); knowledge of career planning (90.1%); performance of HR management (92.8%) and overall knowledge on managerial elements of healthcare (93.7%). The main challenges included the lack of HR development strategies (64.8%); negative workforce attitudes towards managerial elements (58.5%); lack of financial resources (56.7%); and inadequate training (69.3%). Conclusion: managerial practices and competences are crucial for healthcare managers in performing their functions. They must be practiced and implemented to improve the local community’s health status as an indicator of the quality of good functioning and performance of the Rwanda’s healthcare system. Therefore, we recommended the employees’ training upgrading, allocation of sufficient resources and considering motivational factors.
