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The allocation of health (and other professional) personnel to rural areas of poor countries
Author(s) -
Gersovitz Mark
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
health economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.55
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1099-1050
pISSN - 1057-9230
DOI - 10.1002/hec.3556
Subject(s) - lottery , rural area , business , rural health , health care , economics , actuarial science , public economics , economic growth , medicine , microeconomics , pathology
The availability of health personnel in the rural areas of poor countries is generally seen as problematic. This paper contrasts a lottery‐based assignment of personnel between rural and urban areas to a free‐market solution in which personnel are paid a premium to accept a rural posting. The lottery system can lower total cost and increase the number of personnel in rural areas. The model benchmarked with published estimates of the premium that would be required under a free market suggests gains from the lottery could be substantial.