Likely Benefit of Using Workload Indicators of Staffing Need ( WISN ) for Human

This study demonstrates how Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN) can be used as a human resources planning and management tool for improving decisions at all levels of health services about the provision, allocation and deployment of staff. WISN has been estimated for doctors, nurses and medical assistants working in different Thana and Union level public health facilities under Chittagong district of Bangladesh. The estimate of WISN turns out to be 0.6 for both doctors and nurses working in Thana Health Complexes. However, there exists a wide variation of this figure among facilities. It varies from 0.45 to 0.93 for doctors; for nurses it varies from 0.4 to 1.2. For medical staff working in Union level Health Sub-centres, WISN is estimated at 1.5 with a variation from 0.9 to 2.8. The presence of significant variation of WISN within facilities of the same level as well as facilities of different levels indicates that health managers have a role to increase efficiency and equity by making optimal deployment of the workforce among facilities.