Scarcity of health human resources: a chronic national disease

If one looks at the past and present concerns about health human resources in the country, it seems that the health human resource question might be characterized as a chronic national, now international, disease. As a disease, it causes much stress and attendant fatigue, and when there are acute exacerbations it debilitates our healthcare system. Management of this malady will require a committed national effort directed in several areas. These areas include establishment of an enhanced national database of healthcare professionals, further research into the areas of recruitment, retention and renewal, and the development of a national overarching framework for managing this complex problem. Finally, there is a need to clarify the roles of both the provincial and federal governments in bringing long-term stability to the health human resources workforce in Canada.