Health manpower planning and redistribution of resources: the experience of Japan.

The planning and distribution of medical manpower are extremely difficult in the context of a free-market system, such as exists in Japan. The Japanese approaches to the planning and redistribution of health manpower were multiple. It appears from our experience that comprehensive measures, including planning of manpower, systematization of the provisions of services, and career-development schemes, will work if they are coordinated. In this sense, coordination between health-service development and health manpower development should be further extended as recommended by World Health. Assembly resolution WHA29.72.